After tapping Chile as its initial launch market for mobile virtual network operator services in Latin America and receiving regulatory approval to operate in Mexico, Virgin Mobile Latin America’s president and CEO, Peter Macnee, confirmed to RCR Wireless News that company has obtained licenses to provide wireless communications in Colombia and Peru as a MVNO.
The new licenses bring to four the number of countries in which U.K.-based Virgin Group announced has said it will operate Virgin Mobile Latin America. In Mexico, the company said it will begin service in about six months after it completes a wholesale agreement with one of Mexico’s mobile network operators. The next step is to set discussions with the operators, which might proceed at a quicker pace, Virgin Mobile Latin America said.
In June, Virgin Group announced plans to launch a Virgin-branded MVNO service in Latin America in partnership with Tribe Mobile. The investment is expected to be about U.S. $200 million across the region, a little less than the previously reported $300 million.
“Our goal is to be full MVNO in all the countries, which has been Virgin’s strategy around the world,” Macnee told RCR Wireless News in October. “We want to build regional business and operate in major countries. 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.”
VMLA said it will target youth and “young at heart” consumers, positioning itself as a fresh alternative to existing wireless providers. The company intends to expand the Virgin Mobile brand throughout Latin America, joining a growing network of Virgin Mobile operations in seven countries (Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, U.K. and the U.S.) serving 15 million mobile subscribers.
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