Ad-supported MVNO Blyk premieres in U.K.

Blyk, the ad-supported MVNO first announced in March by co-founders Pekka Ala-Pietilä and Antti Öhrling, officially launched its U.K. service via the Orange mobile network. The invitation-only MVNO targets subscribers between the ages of 16 and 24, promising free airtime and text services in exchange for viewing ads geared to the youth demographic. Blyk's launch follows months of user group studies and live user trials--subscribers must answer profile questions and agree to ongoing SMS polling during membership to enable brands to pinpoint their advertising efforts to their consumer behaviors. "We have spent the last year developing a unique, robust advertising content engine and whilst the technology we are using is incredibly advanced, the main premise of Blyk is driven by three basic principles--ease of use, interaction and relevance of the communications," said former Nokia president Ala-Pietilä in a prepared statement.
For more on the Blyk launch:

- read this release

Related articles:
Spotlight: The end of the wireless party?
Blyk hitting right notes with ad-funded MVNO, but faces challenges
Ex-Nokia president launching ad-funded MVNO