MVNOs hit the road in Latin America - Prepaid MVNO

MVNOs hit
the road in
Latin America
By Roberta Prescott
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FEATURE REPORT
Although mobile virtual network operators were launched in
Latin America about four years ago, they have become hot topics
again since Brazil released new regulations, and Virgin Mobile
announced – and actually launched – operations in the region.
Worldwide, mobile virtual network
operator launches peaked in 2006 across
the United States, Canada and Europe.
However, current growth is coming from
emerging countries in Latin America,
as well as Russia, Turkey and Pakistan.
The competitive telecom market and the
relatively low number of Internet users are
among the segment’s market opportunities.
Mobile penetration, a predominately prepaid
customer base and a high churn rate
promote competition and are favorable conditions
for MVNOs. “To date, the most concentrated
markets have been the most receptive
to MVNOs, and Latin American markets
are maturing, so competition in the region
becomes service-based rather than networkbased,”
said Daniele Tricarico, a senior analyst
with Informa Telecoms & Media.
“The MVNO market in Latin America
is an interesting place to be because it’s
launching behind North America and Europe.
Many of the lessons already learned
in those markets can be leveraged within
Latin America,” said Mario Quijada, a principal
at Altman Vilandrie & Company.
Opportunities are abundant and go beyond
voice, according to experts interviewed for
this report. “Although traditionally MVNOs
have focused their offers on prepaid services,
the current situation brings a number of opportunities
based on data services, justified
in large-scale mobile Internet, high growth
of smartphones and tablets, and machine-tomachine
services,” said Jesus Martín Tello, a
partner at consulting firm Everis.
Tricarico agreed, adding that “data MV- from the traditional main purpose of virtual
NOs” often means “youth MVNOs,” and operators, which is to focus on a niche
theoretically, there is a larger addressable market, targeting an audience that isn’t
market in Latin America than in Europe well served by the traditional telecoms.
and North America.
Although the MVNO playground has been
Across Latin America the interest in dominated by existing telecom operators,
launching MVNOs has come from fixedline
telecom operators, as adding mobile Virgin Mobile, Porto Seguro, Tuyo, Uff Móvil
there are new players emerging, such as
voice can increase customer loyalty and and FullMóvil. Currently, the region has an
enhance bundled products. About 80% of estimated 20 MVNOs, though Everis points
all the MVNOs in Latin America have been out that there are at least 30 companies are
launched by telecom operators; the opposite evaluating the MVNO business model.
Subscriptions (000s)
Latin America, selected MVNOs’ subscriptions, 4Q10-4Q11
Uff Maxcom UNE EPM Telecsa
$250
$200
$150
$100
$50
$0
4Q10 1Q11 2Q11 3Q11 4Q11
Source: Informa Telecoms & Media

FEATURE REPORT
Triple-play driver
Of the companies that are already
participating in the Latin American MVNO
market, Colombia’s Uff Móvil has the
largest number of subscribers, according to
Informa Telecoms & Media. The company
ended 2011 with about 259,000 users or a
.7% share of the wireless market in that
country. This represents an expansive
growth compared to its .18% market share in
the second quarter of 2011 and considering
it was launched by the Colombian TV group
RCN in November 2010. Uff Móvil uses
Tigo’s network to offer inexpensive longdistance
calls to fixed and mobile numbers
in the countries where many Colombian
expats live.
Number portability, which began in Columbia
in July 2011, benefited the MVNO,
but it was not the only factor, according to
Uff Móvil’s CEO, Santiago Aldana. “People
understand what MVNOs are about, and
as more are launched, it becomes easier to
gain subscribers,” Aldana said.
In Colombia, MVNOs such as Uff Móvil
and Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de
Bogota compete with big players: América
Móvil’s Comcel, Teléfonica’s Movistar and
Tigo. But they have high goals. For instance,
ETB aims to reach 1 million subscribers
over the next five years. ETB is focused on
Bogotá, which is Columbia’s largest city
and represents 17% of the population, 26%
of Colombian GDP, 34% of total fixed lines
and 32% of total broadband subscribers.
ETB, which also uses Tigo’s network, earlier
this year added mobile voice to its data
MVNO service, expanding its convergent
services, which already has fixed lines and
wireless modems for mobile broadband under
an MVNO model.
According to Sérgio González, ETB’s
VP for strategic planning, the company
currently has approximately 15,000
customers – although this might not be the
most accurate number since ETB delivered
free SIM cards to current customers across
the country.
González said that to address future
challenges and in the context of consolidation
and potential new entrants, ETB
needs to strengthen its participation in
the Bogotá market; achieve fixed-mobile
convergence in positioning its MVNO offer;
upgrade its networks for the provision
of new services by deploying fiber-to-thehome;
consolidate its TV service; and migrate
to digital entertainment.
One of the first MVNOs to enter the market
– a status that remains important in
the Colombia telecom scene – UNE EPM
launched LTE services in Bogotá and Medellín
in June, with plans to expand the service
to Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena and
Bucaramanga during the second half of this
year. The goal is to have up to 180,000 users
by the end of the year. UNE has invested
about $130 million to begin offering LTE
services. This is a huge step as until it had
built its own infrastructure, UNE EPM operated
as an MVNO using Tigo’s networks.
UNE EPM’s LTE journey began in
2010, when the carrier paid $40 million
for a 50 megahertz, 10-year license in the
2.5 GHz band.
While “triple play” services (TV, broadband
and phone) remains a major MVNO driver,
it is easy to find partnerships between ISPs
and cable companies. In 2007, the Mexican
fixed-line operator Maxcom won approval
from telecommunications regulator Cofetel
to become an MVNO, and it started operating
the following year. Maxcom was the
first company in the region that signed a
wholesale agreement with Telefónica and
one of the first MVNOs in Latin America.
Last year, Mexican cable operator Megacable
Holdings also launched its MVNO
service through an agreement with the local
unit of Telefónica. The move allowed
Megacable to have a “quad-play,” by offering
wireless services alongside its existing
package of television, Internet and fixedline
telephone. The MVNO service, which
was originally announced last year, will
operate under the Megacel brand.
For the foreseeable future, Informa Telecoms
& Media expects alternative ISPs, especially
in the most unbalanced fixed-line
markets, to retain a strong interest in the
MVNO model with the aim of increasing
customer loyalty and reinforcing their offerings
by bundling products.
Virgin Mobile’s impact
Certainly one of the biggest announcements
affecting the MVNO scene was the
arrival of Virgin Mobile Latin America.
In June 2011, the United Kingdom-based
Virgin Group announced plans to launch
operations in several markets, including
Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Mexico,
by packaging products specifically to meet
the needs of the youth market. Since then
the company has signed with Telefónica’s
Movistar to operate in Chile and Colombia,
and effectively, VMLA launched services in
Chile in April.
In Chile, Virgin Mobile offers prepaid
data, voice and messaging services, and it is
targeting the youth segment by offering additional
benefits, such as discounts on brand
products, and concert and event tickets.
VMLA also has license approvals to operate
in Mexico and Colombia. In May, Jeffery
Buckwalter, VMLA’s SVP for business
development, said the company expects to
launch MVNO services in Colombia and
Brazil over the next 18 months. Colombia is

FEATURE REPORT
set to be its second market, and the launch
might happen this year, while Brazil is expected
to be its third, with a VMLA launch
in 2013.
Virgin Mobile’s experience in Chile will be
valuable as the company’s focus moves to
other countries. “Colombia is in place, and
we are at the advanced discussion stage in
Brazil. The challenges are that we still have
several pieces to put in place. In Brazil, we
cannot apply for a license … until we have
an operator,” Buckwalter said.
In both Chile and Colombia, Virgin Mobile
has signed agreements with Movistar,
but there is no MVNO partner yet for the
Brazilian market. Peter Macnee, president
and CEO for VMLA, said the company may
not use the same operator partner in all
countries, but he did note that the company
planned to build its operation teams locally.
“Our teams are able to do local market
research and combine experiences. We are
hiring a management team and balancing
that with local markets,” Macnee said.
VMLA is holding independent conversations
in each country, and in Brazil the company
is in talks with the four major operators.
Of the four largest carriers, TIM has
the most experience in completing agreements,
as it already has MVNO agreements
with Porto Seguro, Datora and Sisteer.
When asked if VMLA could follow its
agreements in Chile and Colombia and close
the deal with Telefónica’s Vivo, Buckwalter
answered that having the same carrier
would have some benefits, but also raises
some concerns. “We are very happy in Chile
and in Colombia, but the question is how
much influence would Telefónica have over
us,” he said.
The global Virgin Mobile brand currently
has more than 15 million customers worldwide,
and seems to be very confident in the
Latin American market. “We want to build
a regional business and operate in major
countries,” said Macnee. “If you look at the
region, there are a small number of regional
brands. And we are finding that the major
carriers are interested in having a small
number of MVNOs on their system, but
they are focusing on the major ones.”
The question is how VMLA will differentiate
itself among current players. Buckwalter
said that the company is focusing on the
youth segment with prepaid plans and strong
data services. “Voice is a commodity. Data is
where the future is,” he explained. However,
branding is still a challenge since Virgin is
not very well known in several Latin American
countries. “We are making significant investments
to enhance our brand awareness.
There is no shortcut,” Buckwalter said, adding
that Mexico might be the country where
the Virgin brand is the most recognized in
the region. “We will have to invest more
where Virgin is not known,” he said.

FEATURE REPORT
Brazil’s outlook
Although MVNOs have existed in the region
since 2008, they have become hot topics
again, as Brazil regulated MVNOs in
2010. As Latin America’s biggest country
with 255 million mobile subscribers, Brazil
is expected to boost the MVNO market.
However operations have yet to launch.
The first Brazilian company to announce
plans to enter the MVNO market, the insurance
firm Porto Seguro, is set to launch wireless
services during the second half of 2012,
according to general manager Tiago Galli.
The launch process is taking a long time.
The insurance company partnered with mobile
virtual network enabler Datora Telecom
in 2010, which also became a shareholder
of the new subsidiary, dubbed Porto Seguro
Telecom. TIM Brasil was chosen as the network
partner, and management services will
be provided by Ericsson. “It has not started
yet due to the licensing process,” Galli explained.
Trials began on February 24.
Galli did not disclose the amount invested
to launch the MVNO, but he did note
the company will use the investments to
promote customer loyalty and improve
customer service. Porto Seguro already offers
credit cards, with new products such
as location and m-payment also potentially
in the pipeline. “We aim to be a niche
operator to aggregate value to our current
customers. We won’t fight for costs or to
become a mass operator,” Galli said. In
addition, the MVNO will help to optimize
internal costs, for instance, by reducing
telecommunication expenses.
The delay in launching MVNOs in Brazil
is due to the bureaucracy around getting approvals,
according to some sources, but the
country is still very attractive. Companies
that are evaluating the Brazilian market
include MTV Networks, which has deployed
% of respondents
100
80
60
40
20
0
Strongly agree (18.6% / 17.5%)
Somewhat agree (41.2% / 46.0%)
Note: n=263
Telecom operators
(mobile, fixed, integrated)
Source: Informa-SAP M2M Communications Survey, 2012
MVNOs in six European countries, and
Cemig, a holding company composed of 58
companies and 10 consortia with assets and
businesses in 19 Brazilian states and Chile.
MTV Networks’ product manager Bas de
Kuiper said the company has been in the
mobile business for seven years and has
plans to move forward into Latin America
and Asia. “MTV has been very active
throughout the region, and we are open to
doing business here, though we do not have
any proposals yet,” he said.
Cemig is also eyeing the MVNO business in
Brazil, though there is nothing concrete yet.
Aline Carvalho, senior lawyer at Cemig Telecom,
said the interest in launching an MVNO
followed an Accenture research report that
showed energy customers would be willing
to pay more for energy if they received additional
services. The company has set up an
All survey
respondents
Somewhat disagree (24.5% / 27.0%)
Strongly disagree (15.7% / 9.5%)
internal group to study the MVNO business
with the support of consultants. “We aim to
launch, but cannot say when,” Carvalho said.
Cemig has not yet acquired licenses from the
Brazilian telecom regulator Anatel.
German-based Tyntec is also set to launch
services in Brazil. The company is a mobile
interaction specialist that provides solutions
designed to enable enterprises to integrate
mobile telecom services. Business development
director Sven Dirschauer said Tyntec
is in talks with a network partner and a law
firm. It is also waiting for a MVNO license.
Dirschauer believes that services could
be launched this year targeting Brazilian
enterprises, including Internet firms, to
provide messaging services (integrating
global inbound and outbound messaging
into any application); outgoing, inexpensive
international calling; and services to

FEATURE REPORT
development firms. “We are an aggregator,
and we will also provide virtual numbers,”
said Dirschauer. Actually, the company
already offers some products to Brazilian
customers, such as messaging services for
several applications, including marketing.
Brazil is often a landing country in Latin
America. Everis’ Tello said that Brazilian
MVNOs could garner market share between
5% to 10% over the next five years, counting
about 15 million customers by 2015. Brazilian
telecom regulator agency, Anatel, forecasts
that MVNOs could reach a 5% market
share, since they play an important role in
specific markets for improving the quality
of customer service.
M2M as an alternative
In addition to the usual applications of
voice and data, several companies are seeking
MVNOs to launch machine-to-machine
services. A service such as providing embedded
connectivity could be a prime opportunity.
Indeed, MVNOs can bring differentiation
through certain value-added services.
“While some M2M applications don’t always
pan out in Latin America, others like fleet tracking
can be interesting. This is similar to what
Kore Telematics does in the United States,”
said Quijada of Altman Vilandrie & Company.
In May 2011, Brazilian business-tobusiness
communication service provider
TESA Telecom announced it had requested an
MVNO license from government regulators
as it looks to launch M2M services. The M2M
project includes partnerships with Algar
Telecom as a network partner, Transtelco
as an MVNE and Bichara Tecnologia, which
provides IT infrastructure. “We are building
our business plan,” said TESA President
Roberto Miranda, adding that the company’s
“value proposal is based on customization,
customer service and agility.”
Currently, the company is testing a pilot
solution to track vehicles. Miranda said that
the goal is to remain focused on the B2B
market with niche offers for at least two
more years. “We could, for example, provide
a solution focused on logistics under which
we could integrate the M2M platform with
corporate IT systems, adding telemetry,”
Miranda explained. The company’s road
map calls for finishing the business plan
within 90 days after obtaining the MVNO
license. “We are deeply discussing the business
model, because technology is the easiest
part. The question is how to make money
and expand our offer,” Miranda said.
Osvaldo Cesar Carrijo, sales director at
TESA’s network partner Algar Telecom,
noted that the TESA agreement is the first
and, to date, only MVNO contract the wireless
company has signed.
With a strong focus on M2M opportunities
in Latin America, Brazil’s Datora Telecom
is also seeking a big share of the M2M market.
The company launched a mobile unit
dubbed Datora Mobile, focused on the M2M
vertical, with the goal of achieving a 15%
share of the country’s M2M market over the
next five years. It is a big gamble as M2M
services are just beginning in Brazil.
Datora owns operations in the United
States, Portugal, Spain and Guatemala.
With its Datora Mobile unit the company is
starting to look into other Latin American
markets, and has opened an office in Santiago,
Chile, to explore potential partnership
opportunities, including one for roaming.
Datora Mobile’s service is in the final trial
stages. “The basic structure of our M2M
operation is established, and we can now
devote ourselves to enriching the system to
allow the most varied solutions for customers,”
said Wilson Otero, Datora Telecom’s
CEO, in a statement.
Stakeholders’ ecosystem
MVNO vendors range from traditional
equipment and software manufacturers
offering services such as billing and customer
analytics, to less traditional MVNEs
providing services such as procurement,
distribution and payment processing. The
ecosystem is complex as it includes many
different players – especially if the MVNO
is from a different sector and as consequence,
does not have telecom experience.
Bichara Tecnologia, a technology provider
supporting the Brazilian telecommunications
market, and Interop Technologies, a
provider of core wireless solutions for messaging,
device management and connectivity
gateways, partnered to provide messaging
and wireless application protocol solutions
to MVNOs in Brazil. The agreement enabled
Bichara to deliver wireless services to
MVNOs in Brazil, and its executive director
Daniel Bichara expects more launches, especially
supporting voice services.
Another vendor, Redknee Solutions,
which provides billing and charging solutions,
signed a $5 million, four-year agreement
to support the launch of an unnamed
Latin American MVNO. “We keep an eye on
key countries and regulations as well. Success
for a lot of companies like us depends
on finding out the cost of operations,” said
Namit Garg, Redknee’s director in charge
of MNVx solutions at Redknee.
“For MVNOs, it’s critical that they understand
the differences between their usual
business and this new telecommunication
service; on this point, MVNEs can be very
helpful,” said Daniel Tibor Fuchs, Datora’s
founder and chief innovation officer.
Quijada added that MVNEs that can provide
billing, procurement, inventory, customer
services and other operational support,
playing a key role in enabling success

FEATURE REPORT
Global, number of MVNO launches, by region, 1991-2010
Latin America 3%
Africa 2%
North
America
21%
Middle East 2%
Source: Informa Telecoms & Media
Asia
Pacific
12%
Eastern
Europe
14%
for MVNOs. “U.S. MVNOs didn’t have solid
customer service and didn’t know how to
deal with the procurement of handsets, preand
post-paid, etc., so they failed quickly.
Latin America can benefit greatly from the
lessons learned in the U.S. market and leverage
MVNEs as a critical component of
the ecosystem,” said Quijada.
Since the beginning of MVNOs in Europe
several years ago, the number of vendors
focused on supporting the segment has increased,
including both system and service
providers. However, Everis’ Tello noted
that one of the sector’s biggest mistakes
was to believe that a technological solution
ensures business success, when they have
to build a whole strategy to support the
telecom operation.
“MVNO is the best option for [wireless
carriers] to create differentiation and aggregate
some markets that in other ways, they
Western
Europe
46%
would lose or not have access to,” said Datora’
Fuchs. However, the relationship and
negotiation between these two key players
might not always be easy.
MVNOs’ impact on wireless carriers
The negotiation process between wireless
carriers and MVNO candidates is another
issue that can hold up rollouts as the process
can be lengthy and difficult. “In a threeparty
partner relationship, boundaries and
follow-up become crucial for securing a
great costumer experience from a technical
standpoint,” said Sebastian Haedo, project
leader at FullMóvil.
“Negotiation is the most challenging dimension,
not because wireless carriers do not
want a MVNO, but because of wholesale cost
and pricing. And this is not just in Brazil,
but worldwide,” said VMLA’s Buckwalter.
“MVNOs and MVNEs only exist if the wireless
carrier wants them to, since they have a
lot of power over these partners. So, relationship
is a key point,” said Datora’s Fuchs.
The main challenges in deploying MVNOs
in the region are “knowledge problems.”
As Informa’s Tricarico explained, telecom
operators, which account for about 80% of
MVNO launches in Latin America, should
not look at MVNOs as competitors. “There
is the idea that MVNOs are low cost, but
in reality they are interested in costumers
that can add value. So they give a wireless
carrier the chance to add costumers with no
acquisition costs, helping wireless carriers
to improve profitability and increase [earnings
before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization] margins,” he said.
According to Altman Vilandrie & Company’s
Quijada, the critical step for wireless
carriers in deciding under what conditions
they should include MVNOs in their strategy
is to examine how constrained the carrier
are in terms of spectrum, capacity, etc.
“It’s important to look at how successful
wireless carriers are at covering the critical
segments of the market, and finally, how
competitive the MVNO will be,” he said.
As for large, successful carriers that are
struggling with spectrum, Quijada advised
that they should limit their MVNO or wholesale
strategy to non-competitive products of
low capacity. “M2M fits this perfectly, particularly
when the MVNO partner has a solution
to commercialize what many carriers
have not yet developed,” he said.
In the same line, Eduardo Resende, TIM
Brazil’s wholesale and partnership strategist,
advised wireless carriers to search
for MVNOs that complement their strategies
and set up a long-term plan. TIM has
a business area focused on MVNOs, and it
is the only wireless carrier in Brazil with
MVNO contracts.

FEATURE REPORT
Adding to this, Vivo’s wholesale market
director, Victor Czarnobay, argued that in
Brazil’s very competitive telecom market,
MVNOs are critical for increasing wireless
carrier’s leadership. “They are part of
the game to gain and lead in the market,”
he said.
Vivo, which belongs to Spanish-based
Telefónica, set up an MVNO unit, though
it has no agreement yet. “We are preparing
ourselves. We have dedicated people
focused on understanding the MVNO market,
but we need to have more than just a
strategic view, we need to know how to put
it into practice,” Czarnobay said. In other
countries, however, Telefónica’s Movistar
operation has a number of MVNO contracts,
including with VMLA.
“There are multiple variations for the
relationship model between wireless carriers,
MVNOs and MVNEs, and each case requires
a thorough study of the best solution,
but none of them have to leave the whole
business to a third party,” said Everis’ Tello.
“Wireless carriers must be clear about the
acceptance criteria of potential MVNOs,
partnering with those that allow them to
have a win-win program and discarding
those of low value that may not have the
expected performance.”
The negotiating task between wireless
carriers and MVNOs increases when it
comes to data pricing. MVNOs, such as
VMLA, have already noted that their differentiation
is in data services as voice becomes
a commodity. However, getting data
pricing right remains a challenge.
Regulation hindering MVNO development
Pricing has been a main focus of regulatory
agencies, though stakeholders believe
agencies should be concerned about
the time-to-market as well. “Countries’
regulations should be about much more
than pricing. They should help MVNOs
deploy in a reasonable time frame because
when the MVNO can begin operating
is more important than price,” said
Fernando Schulhof, a lawyer specializing
in telecommunications and a partner at
Network Adviser.
This is the No. 1 concern among companies
that aim to launch operations in Brazil.
Schulhof noted the process takes too long
in Brazil, citing companies that secured licenses
in 2010, but have yet to launch.
A spokesperson at Anatel said that the
agency considers MVNO regulation in Brazil
to be stable and flexible enough to allow
very different business models. “We believe
an important challenge is the contract discussion
between the MVNO and wireless
carriers. The regulatory aspect of obtaining
a license does not seem to be a bottleneck,”
he said.
As Informa’s Tricarico explained, only
Brazil and Chile have MVNO-specific regulations.
“My take on regulation is that you
don’t necessarily need it. The market can
work fine without regulation. When regulation
comes in, it is either because there are
some problems or distortions, or because
you want to create a framework to help a
market develop because the regulator is
concerned that without rules you won’t
have a market at all. That is the case in
Brazil,” he said.
In Colombia and Mexico, the market
started without formal MVNO regulation,
only with soft rules allowing the resale of
telecom services. “Clearly in those two markets,
especially in Colombia given the competitive
dynamics, the conditions were ripe
for MVNOs starting to operate, irrespective
of whether or not there was MVNO regulation,”
Tricarico said.
Opportunities
A common approach of MVNOs around
the world is to focus on niche markets with
an emphasis on ethnic markets; recognized
brands looking to strengthen customer relationships;
quad-play opportunities; and
banking-related MVNOs. In addition to
these areas, the Latin American MVNO
market could also close the gaps left by
wireless carriers, mostly related to customer
relations and service innovation.
MVNOs might be beneficial to the region
in several ways. Given their mainly
variable cost and low capital expenditure
economics, MVNOs have an opportunity
to address specific niches not reached by
large carriers. “In particular, continuing
to push data adoption in the consumer
sector is something MVNOs can be well
positioned to do,” said Altman Vilandrie
& Company’s Quijada. “In the end, everything
depends on the economics that the
wireless carriers provide.” Quijada added
that the key factors for success in this
market include distribution, brand, cost
control and devices.
Retail companies could also potentially
launch MVNO services, though there is
nothing currently concrete. “We are going
to see more retailers entering the MVNO
market, as well as an MVNO from one
country launching in another country,”
predicts Redknee’s Garg. “The Latin American
market is focusing on customer experience,
which is key. How to make customers
happy is the question.”
Indeed, the entrance of new players
through an MVNO model is expected to
increase competition in Latin America’s
telecom market, which could benefit customers
and enlarge the vendor ecosystem,
an outcome valued by telecom regulators
across the region.

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