CTIA 2006 Las Vegas, "Mvno Virtual Lessons Learned", Jean Barrette, Speaker
1. Virtual Lessons Learned
MVNO Business and
Partnering Strategies
Jean Barrette
General Manager, Products
Bell Mobility
MVNO Outlook
Emerging Ops Track
2. About Bell Mobility
A division of Bell Canada – Bell Canada of Parent
BCE– largest corporation
in Canada
More than 5 million subscribers (33% market share)
National CDMA network
Over $3 billion in annual revenue
Leader in innovative wireless offerings for
consumer, business and wholesale customers
MVNO Outlook
Emerging Ops Track
3. 2003, The Hard Realities
Highly competitive Canadian market
Bell Mobility market share challenged
Industry consolidation bumped Bell Mobility from
#1 subscriber position
Conservative brand – limited appeal in some high
growth segments
Needed to revitalize, recreate and evolve
MVNO Outlook
Emerging Ops Track
4. Analysis
Review of key internal Concluded that:
indicators …
– Bell Mobility needs to
– Marketing strategy
aggressively pursue
– Market share youth market
– Advertising reach
– Need to stimulate
mindset change,
– Brand SWOT
marketing strategies
– Distribution SWOT and approach
– PrePaid/PostPaid mix
– Partnership
opportunities
MVNO Outlook
Emerging Ops Track
5. Changing Traditional Mindset
MVNO – a positive competitive opportunity
– Leverage a recognized brand with complementary
attributes
– Network becomes the product (MVNO)
Virgin Mobile
Canada (MVNO)
+
Bell Mobility
(MNO)
MVNO Outlook
Emerging Ops Track
6. Virgin Mobile – The Inspiration
Leverage established brand to target youth market
– Building teams with young and innovative resources
– Bold, bright colors, creative packaging
Virgin Menu
– „Themed‟ YOUTHENIZED advertising
– Simplified language and product offering
– Introduced new, fun handsets
– New Products
• Free Text
• Push to Talk
• MSN messaging
• Ring back tunes
• Games
• Video
MVNO Outlook
Emerging Ops Track
7. Some Result
Success in reaching youth market through both Virgin
and Bell brands
Stimulated new thinking, drives new mindset
Reviewed existing partnerships, create new ones
Energized teams
Heightened level of energy and creativity from internal
resources
Increased aggressiveness and innovation in product
offerings and value added services
MVNO Outlook
Emerging Ops Track
8. Operator Lessons Learned
Deal Structure
– Pick your partners carefully
– Use win-win structure to focus the partnership: complement and differentiate
– Executive support and operational rules of engagement
– Plan to change the game
– Plan the next steps
– Plan an exit
Pre-launch
– It is never as simple as you think. Are you MVNO ready?
• Service Layer, CRM, Enterprise Application Integrations for example
– Clear view of what the end state is will drive how to get there
– Choose your vendors wisely
Post launch
– Change Request and clear “Rules of Engagement” to avoid conflicting priorities
• For example human and financial resource allocation
– Attitude change and increased focus
– Plan for growth, it does not stop after launch
– Cost effective differentiation
MVNO Outlook
Emerging Ops Track
9. US MVNO Landscape
MVNO Examples MVNO Examples
Mobile PCS Amp'd Mobile
U Mobile EarthLink
Disney Mobile Helio / SK Earthlink
9278 Mobile IDT
GSR Mobile Page Plus
Illustrative US Market Share
STI Mobile RockitTalk
Virgin Mobile USA
ZUMA Prepaid
Wireless
Sprint-Nextel
Liberty Wireless
Sprint-Nextel
Movida
Communications
Others
ESPN
Kajeet …
Verizon
MVNE Examples (ZTAR)
7-Eleven Speak Out
Bratz Mobile
Circle-K quot;Talk-and-Go Mobile
…
MVNO Examples
Cool.Prepaid
Firefly Mobile
Verizon
NET10
TuYo Mobile
Cingular
Cingular
MVNO Outlook
Emerging Ops Track
10. Generic MNO/MVNO/MVNE Outcomes
•MNO’s, MVNO,s, MVNE’s Grow MNO MNO
•MVNO’s grow more than MNO’s
MNO MNO
•MNO’s grow, MVNO’s and MNO
MNO
MVNE’s grow but consolidate
MVNO Outlook
Emerging Ops Track