New virtual operators are the wave of the future. Internet selling, clever publicity and low, low prices will eat the networks' lunch. That, at least, is what the MVNO business would like you to think. Denmark-based consultant John Strand, for example, predicts confidently that most, if not all, remaining subscriber growth in western Europe will be captured by new operators, against a background of near-stable telecoms spending. It's a grim prospect for the networks. Pointing to the examples of Denmark, where the pioneer MVNO Telmore turned the industry on its head, and UK operators such as Virgin Mobile and Tesco Mobile, virtual network advocates paint a future of network operators' customer bases draining away to a new layer of MVNOs with dizzying speed.
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