Bertín Osborne launches his mobile operator: patriotism or business?

Bertín Osborne enters telecoms with Española de Telefonía: business or posturing?

Does it make sense to pay more for an MVNO that runs on the same Movistar network just for a patriotic slogan? That's the question hanging over Española de Telefonía, the new mobile operator launched by Bertín Osborne. With the motto "Things done right. Things done the right way" and plans starting at €7.50 a month, the company promises to be "100% Spanish, premium and accessible", but the market is reacting with skepticism.

An MVNO on the Movistar network with introductory prices
Española de Telefonía operates as an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) on the Movistar network, which limits its technical differentiation. It offers fiber, mobile and convergent plans, with mobile rates starting at €7.50. On Instagram, Bertín himself promotes launch offers for "the first customers who back the most patriotic telecom". However, comparison with low-cost operators like Digi —with even cheaper plans— leaves the new player in an awkward position: more expensive and with no network of its own.

First reactions: between jokes and criticism
Initial impressions in the market are not kind. The price is being questioned against the Romanian competitor (Digi), and there is mockery of the use of the 71-year-old TV host's image. Doubts are also raised about whether the customer service agents will really be Spanish or outsourced, as happens with many MVNOs. Some dismiss it outright as "an El Mundo Today story" (a Spanish satirical site). The marketing strategy based on national identity clashes with the reality of a sector where price rules.

With these prices, the target audience seems to be a conservative niche that values the slogan over savings. But in a saturated market, where Digi, Lowi or Pepephone already compete on price, Bertín Osborne's venture looks more like an ideological statement than a commercial disruption. Or, as the cynics put it, it will be for the necroporra.