Truphone raises funds for global SIM card

Mobile Internet Network Operator (MINO), Truphone, has raised £16.5m in a new round of venture capital funding.

The investment will allow Truphone to continue with the development of a single, global SIM card, which will provide low call charges at home and abroad, together with free and low-cost internet calls.

Truphone recently acquired SIM4travel, completing its GSM core network, which will allow it to provide low-cost GSM calls worldwide via a travel SIM.

The latest funding round was led by private investors. All of the company’s existing investors participated, including Burda Digital Ventures, Eden Ventures, Independent News & Media and Wellington Partners.

Truphone’s carrier-grade, global operator infrastructure includes a global network of SIP gateways, a Nokia Siemens Networks mobile network Home Location Register (HLR) and a GSM identifier.

Through global agreements with PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) providers, the infrastructure can support 40 million customers worldwide.