Pritelecom Expands into Canada... Forms Strategic Partnership with Shinhan Bank Canada

Dual Plan and Integrated Financial Benefits
for Working Holiday Participants, International Students,
and Korean Residents in Canada

Executive Director Dongjun Lee of Pritelecom Co., Ltd. (left) and Jongho Park, Head of Shinhan Bank Canada Branch (right)

Pritelecom Co., Ltd., which operates the leading Korean budget mobile brand Pretty, announced that it has signed a contract with Telus, a major Canadian telecommunications company, and officially launched the local telecommunications service 'Pretty Canada (freetca.com)' in July. At the same time, the company has entered into a strategic partnership with Shinhan Bank Canada, planning to provide integrated telecommunications and financial benefits for Koreans and Korean residents in Canada, starting with working holiday participants, language trainees, and international students.

The core product of Pretty Canada, the Dual Plan, features the provision of a Canadian local number along with a Korean phone number at no additional cost. The Korean number is a 'text verification-only number,' which enables the use of services such as KakaoTalk, identity verification, and domestic banking and shopping apps, thereby resolving the inconvenience of identity verification often experienced while living abroad.

The Canadian number offers high-quality LTE/5G services based on the Telus network and can be conveniently activated through a self-registration process. In addition, specialized benefits such as Pretty membership, coupons, points, and OTT integration will also be provided.

Shinhan Bank Canada, through its strategic partnership with Pretty Canada, will introduce an integrated service that combines telecommunications and financial services. This partnership will enable customers to set up both a telecommunications plan and a local financial account even before departing Korea, helping them to begin their overseas life more easily and securely without complicated procedures.

Shinhan Bank Canada will provide various financial benefits, including a pre-account opening service, exemption from account maintenance fees via the mobile application 'Shinhan SOL Canada,' remittance fee waivers, preferential exchange rates, and even discounts on telecommunications charges. Furthermore, Korean-language financial services will be available to help customers settle in more easily and conveniently, overcoming language barriers in an unfamiliar environment.

This collaboration is significant in that it goes beyond the boundaries of telecommunications and finance, offering practical solutions to ensure customers can settle stably from the very beginning of their overseas experience.

Lee Dongjun, Executive Director of Pritelecom, stated, "Pretty's entry into Canada is the first case not only in the budget mobile industry but also among all Korean telecom operators." He added, "Over the past year, we have prepared a service optimized for the Canadian market through technological cooperation and system development with Telus."

He continued, "The Dual Plan provides a solution perfectly tailored to the lifestyle of Koreans by reducing Canadian telecom expenses, which often exceed $80 per month, while maintaining a Korean number for free." He emphasized, "Through our collaboration with Shinhan Bank Canada, we will introduce a practical dual-life solution that integrates telecommunications and financial services into one."

According to industry experts, Pritelecom's overseas expansion is evaluated as a strategy that avoided excessive investment and gradually secured the market.

Initially, the company entered the overseas market with a travel SIM business, which required less capital investment, accumulating operational know-how and data and gaining the confidence to pursue a contract with Telus. Subsequently, it identified an untapped market of long-term residents and Korean expatriates who need solutions beyond short-term SIMs. Based on this, the company began full-scale expansion of its international MVNO business, creating recurring subscription revenue through advanced 'dual number' products. This model is considered scalable and can be replicated in other markets such as the United States and Japan in the future.