Nubank (NYSE: NU) announced recently that its virtual mobile network service, NuCel, has attracted more than one million customers in just 17 months since operations began in January 2025. Developed in partnership with Claro, the service integrates mobile connectivity directly into Nubank’s ecosystem, marking a clear step in the company’s effort to move beyond traditional banking and offer a wider range of daily digital tools to its more than 115 million customers in Brazil.
NuCel operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), using Claro’s infrastructure to provide nationwide 5G coverage without requiring customers to switch providers or sign long-term contracts.
Activation happens entirely through the Nubank app, keeping the experience simple and fully digital.
Plans include unlimited access to WhatsApp and the Nubank application itself, removing common friction points for heavy users of messaging and banking services.
A key differentiator is the built-in financial integration.
Every plan comes with access to an exclusive high-yield savings feature, Caixinha Turbo, which delivers returns at 120% of the CDI benchmark rate.
Users also benefit from real-time plan recommendations tailored to their usage patterns.
Another notable innovation, GB Reserve, automatically supplies additional data when a customer nears their monthly limit, helping avoid service interruptions at no extra cost.
The service has expanded its accessibility over time.
Physical SIM cards became available for devices without eSIM support, and payment options now include direct deduction from Nubank account balances in addition to credit cards.
Earlier this year, NuCel extended its offerings to customers aged 16 to 18, combining mobile plans with introductory financial education elements to support younger users.
Livia Chanes, CEO of Nubank in Brazil, stated that reaching one million customers validates the appeal of straightforward, transparent services that give people greater control over their choices.
She emphasized that NuCel demonstrates how the company is expanding its presence in customers’ lives by leveraging the trust already built through financial services.
Bruna Costa, NuCel’s product director, noted that the service was designed from the start around the same values of clarity and customer respect that define Nubank overall.
Growth figures and satisfaction levels, she said, confirm the effectiveness of that approach.
From the partner perspective, Carlos Araújo, Director of New Business at Claro, highlighted the strength of combining complementary strengths between the two companies.
He viewed the result as proof of the growing relevance of virtual operators and an opportunity to establish new benchmarks for telecommunications partnerships in Brazil.
With its large existing customer base, Nubank can introduce connectivity services with minimal additional marketing friction.
The adoption of NuCel illustrates strong demand for bundled experiences that link communication, savings, and banking in one app.
By removing contracts, adding smart data protections, and tying in high-yield savings, the service returns meaningful autonomy to users while creating deeper daily engagement.
This milestone reinforces Nubank’s broader strategy of building an integrated platform rather than remaining solely a financial institution.
As boundaries between sectors continue to blur in 2026, offerings like NuCel show how technology companies can address multiple aspects of consumers’ lives through seamless, customer-centric design. The one-million-customer milestone / achievement in under a year and a half positions NuCel as a notable success story in Brazil’s evolving digital services landscape and suggests further opportunities for ecosystem expansion ahead.