Alternatives for mobile operators in the competitive 3G and beyond business

The importance of analyzing different business models and technologies in the mobile industry has become more crucial for the investment policy of the telecom operators. This paper aims to cover some of the most interesting business alternatives in providing the new 3G and beyond services including cases where the operator already has an existing second-generation cellular network and perhaps even a license for the 3G UMTS network, and cases where the operator does not have any existing network. Three cases for incumbents and new entrants are foreseen, leaving alternatives for new competing 3G technology deployment or acting as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) without owning any radio infrastructure. A techno-economic approach has been used to identify business opportunities and quantify the potential profitability of different kind of business players. The scenarios have been analyzed in the Western European context by different country groups that are not exactly representative of any defined country, but rather share typical demographic characteristics.