More mobile operators enter piggy-back fight

NEWS There are likely to be more mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) in Europe over coming years, according to the latest research. A Tarifica study interviewed 12 operators and found five already sell airtime to an MVNO and out of the remaining seven, six are thinking of doing so. An MVNO piggy-backs on another mobile operator's network, paying for capacity but operating as a separate network in the eyes of end users by owning billing, marketing and other functions. A well-known example is Virgin Mobile in the UK which uses T-Mobile's national GSM network. Tarifica cited a "snowball effect" for the trend, saying once one player in a market has decided to work with an MVNO, others feel they should too.