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Blyk, the European mobile operator targeted to 16-24 year olds, has launched in the UK. A user gets the first 43 minutes and 217 text messages free every month and in exchange the user agrees to get up to 6 messages a day from advertisers.

Blyk, the European mobile operator targeted to 16-24 year olds, has launched in the UK. A user gets the first 43 minutes and 217 text messages free every month and in exchange the user agrees to get up to 6 messages a day from advertisers.

There’s no contract and if they want to add more minutes and SMSes, it costs 10p per text or 15p per minute. Users need a phone that has MMS (multimedia messaging service). If they have one, they just pop in the SIM card that Blyk sends. If they don’t have a phone that has MMS capability, they can buy one from the Blyk online shop or any other retailer.

How does this model work? Blyk goes out and finds brands that want to talk to people in the age group 16-24. It charges them for sending messages to the users, and gives them money back in the form of free texts and minutes.

Here’s a short explanation of how Blyk works (from their wiki). The downside is that this does not work abroad yet because they don’t have roaming partners.

Blyk’s founders are company founders Pekka Ala-Pietil?¬ß (former president of Nokia) and Antti ??±hrling. The management team is filled with former Nokia execs and advertising people.

I actually find this a very interesting business model especially if the ads delivered to the phones look good. Check out the screen shots. Blyk will be offering service in other European countries in 2008.

Read PaidContent’s and Techcrunch’s articles about Blyk. Also the interview with Leif Pagelstedt, COO of Blyk.

Related posts:

1. Blyk raises 40 million Euros, faces challenging ad market
2. MVNO Blyk succeeds in providing free mobile phone service
3. Blyk signs up 100,000 customers, six months ahead of schedule