Could Apple be preparing a coup by becoming a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, able to offer the best and strongest service from any particular location? James Holland, writing in Electricpig reckons Apple could be about to shake the world of communications to the core:
The first hint of a change in the air came with Apple’s unveiling of iOS5. Along with it came iMessage, and the networks were dumbfounded. Without warning, Apple had diverted iPhone owners’ messages away from the networks’ SMS systems, and routed them through its own servers.
Holland believes that the next step could be for Apple to become a virtual network operator, buying time from all operators. He says that Apple currently holds all the cards and could rewrite the conventions.
Imagine an iPhone that checks to see which network is least congested in your area before placing the call for maximum reliability, or the ability to hop between networks to get the best data speeds. Or how about an iPhone which looks for the cheapest network with availability before placing a call, letting Apple buy airtime at cheaper rates and pass the savings on to iPhone owners.
To me, this makes a lot of sense. We could end up buying our airtime from Apple and having the prime choice of the best networks anywhere we go. Dream or not, it’s food for thought.