Blyk has announced that Orange will be its exclusive partner in the UK, although it’s also dropping its Orange-based UK virtual network. The company initially launched its proposition in 2007 as a MVNO that offered customers free calls and texts in return for receiving advertising messages. It’s now focussing on arranging advertising deals and will close the UK network from midnight on 26th August, disconnecting 200,000 customers. [Orange press release; Blyk blog]