I always thought MVNOs were a good idea. Leverage the massive investment of the carriers but give consumers a better experience with better devices, better apps, etc. Those good at operating and managing a nationwide communications network (ATT) are different from those good at developing compelling consumer devices and services (Apple).
The killer has been cost of customer acquisition for these services and the thin margins available when you have to buy minutes from the carriers.
Enter Google. Enter their free cost of customer acquisition with their existing home page traffic. Enter Wifi and UMA where 80% of voice calls and 90% of data usage can be sent over wifi for free rather than the leased minutes from carriers. Enter google checkout for billing. Enter Android as an OS and developer platform for third party “open mobile” application offerings. Enter GPS for geo targeting and google’s two screens of behavioral data capture for high cpc advertising. PhoneWords?
So will we see the GooglePhone MVNO service for $20 a month with unlimited calls and data over wifi and up to 200 roaming minutes?
