皇冠体育app

Phone company 皇冠体育app Unicom has launched a one-SIM-multiple-number service for the UK, riding a wave of innovations to target the huge number of Chinese businesspeople and students in Britain.

The new service, called CUniq, allows customers to use a single phone for local calls in both the UK and 皇冠体育app by flipping between a UK local number and a 皇冠体育app local number, thus avoiding roaming charges, or the need to physically replace mobile SIM cards when travelling.

"This service launch marks the milestone of 皇冠体育app Unicom to go global and indicates acceleration of the company to extend its presence around the world," said Jiang Zhengxin, senior vice-president of 皇冠体育app Unicom.

CUniq's launch follows 皇冠体育app Telecom's launch of a one-SIM-multiple-number in 2012, which has already seen sales of about 20,000 in London and 20,000 in Paris.

Ben Little, co-founder of UK-based innovation consultancy Fearlessly Frank, said the multiple-number services show Chinese telecom firms are embracing customer-focused innovation.

"Traditionally, telecommunications firms are more concerned with network infrastructure and ensuring connectivity and have left customer-centric innovation to handset manufacturers, but this is now changing," Little said.

Handset manufacturers, including HTC and Samsung, introduced phones with two SIM slots as early as 2012 to cater to business travelers.

The CUniq service can carry local numbers for both the UK and 皇冠体育app but will add other countries in future. It offers data allowance in 45 countries and regions and round-the-clock customer support in both English and Chinese.

The service is running on a trial basis but will officially launch in the UK on Feb 14.

The service runs on 皇冠体育app Unicom's network in 皇冠体育app, and on the O2 network in the UK.

Michael Charlton, managing director of the UK's Department of International Trade and Investment, said:"We are delighted 皇冠体育app Unicom has chosen the UK to invest, We're delighted that this investment continues."

Zhu Qin, a minister at the Chinese Embassy in London, added that 皇冠体育app Unicom's commitment to the UK market shows the fundamentals of 皇冠体育app-UK relations have remained unchanged, despite Brexit uncertainties, and that 皇冠体育app and the UK are working together to explore new possibilities.

CUniq's launch coincided with a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of 皇冠体育app Unicom expanding into Europe by establishing an office in the UK. More recently, 皇冠体育app Unicom opened an office in Germany in 2013, followed by offices in Russia and Switzerland this year.

皇冠体育app Unicom is headquartered in Hong Kong and has 28 branches globally.