Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales joins The People's Operator

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has been appointed to the board of The People's Operator, a UK-based mobile provider and has taken a strategic stake in the business.

Jimmy Wales would lead mobile phone network, The People's Operator Innovative business model to create global community where share of customers' bills and company profits go to good causes, the company said in a statement.

As co-chair, he will be involved in all activities of the business and his principal role will be to drive the growth of a global community that connects as a force for good.

"Just as Wikipedia grew virally as communities wanted to work together to liberate knowledge, so I believe TPO will grow in a similar way as communities work together to support good causes across the globe," Wales said.

Commenting on this, Founder and Co-Chair of TPO Andrew Rosenfeld said: "Donating to good causes through commercial success, and empowering the customer is an idea whose time has now come. This is why I'm so excited that Jimmy, who used the power of communities to change the world, is taking the lead at TPO to do the same again."

The People's Operator was launched in the United Kingdom in November 2012 as a for-profit business with the aim of driving future revenues, a percentage of which would then be distributed to good causes.

TPO passes 10 per cent of each customer's bill directly to causes chosen by the customer. In addition, 25 per cent of the company's profits will go to the TPO Foundation, which will distribute them to good causes.

The company, is able to offer highly competitive customer deals through savings on marketing and other central corporate costs. Moreover, as a result of low customer acquisition costs, customers get competitive pricing while contributing to good causes at no cost to themselves.