Blyk is to shut down in the UK, after its ad-funded free mobile minutes failed to prove strong enough to survive the recession without backing from a mobile operator.
Blyk gave out free minutes over its own virtual network to its users in exchange for sending them advertising. It will still run in other markets including the Netherlands, where it has recently paired up with Vodafone.
"Blyk is changing from being an independent mobile operator to become a partner for other established operators to bring the benefits of mobile advertising to their customers," a message on the site said.
Rumours suggested a similar deal would happen in the UK with Orange, but instead, Blyk will shut down next month.
In a blog post, Blyk co-founder Antti hrling thanked users for their support over the past few years - and asked them to stick around for one last month.
"For now, stick with us for the last month you'll continue to receive your free credit until midnight on 26 August and we'll be bombarding you with great offers, brand messages, competitions and music exclusives," he said.
While Blyk SIM cards will no longer work from that date on, users will be able to get their port authorisation code (PAC) from the company so they can at least keep their phone number - click here to find out how.
