Oct 15 (Reuters) - British consumer credit firm Lendable

launched a monthly 20-pound mobile plan on Wednesday, the latest

financial technology firm to expand into telecommunications to

unlock new revenue streams.

London-based Lendable, founded in 2014, is the first fintech

in Britain to launch such a service. It joins a string of firms

in other countries tapping into the telecoms market and seeking

to build "super-app" ecosystems that combine banking, shopping

and communications.

Revolut recently announced plans for its own mobile virtual

network operator in Europe, while Klarna ( KLAR ) will launch a

$40 per month plan in the United States. Unlike mainstream

providers, these operators do not own the wireless

infrastructure they depend on, which allows them to avoid heavy

fixed costs while competing on the pricing front.

Celebrities have also jumped on the trend. Ryan Reynolds-backed

budget brand Mint Mobile was sold to T-Mobile US ( TMUS ) for

$1.35 billion in 2023, while U.S. President Donald Trump's

family business has licensed its name to launch a mobile

service.

Lendable's plan will be powered by U.S.-based tech company

Gigs, which provides the operating system, and will be available

on the Lendable-owned Zable app, which has 2 million customers.

The plan includes unlimited 5G data, calls and texts on

Vodafone's ( VOD ) network, plus 10GB of roaming across 38

nations.

"Expanding (not pivoting) into telecoms is a natural next

step for us," Lendable co-founder and CEO, Martin Kissinger,

told Reuters in an interview. Kissinger said that unlike other

fintechs focused on current accounts, international payments and

trading, Zable offers cost-saving options with the aim of

lowering bills.

When asked about fundraising, Kissinger said Lendable was a

profitable and well-funded business. "At the moment, we are not

thinking about any kind of listing, as there is still a lot of

building to do."

He declined to comment on a potential initial public

offering on the London Stock Exchange.