Walt Disney Co. has announced today that it plans to use the UK’s O2 mobile network to launch a new mobile phone service later this year. The service would feature multiple handsets, entertainment content and parental controls.
The company’s move to become a MVNO, or mobile virtual network operator, follows a similar service that the company already runs in the United States.
MVNOs are created by renting capacity from original mobile networks. There are many MVNOs in the UK, such as Tesco and Virgin Mobile, but most of them have focused on offering voice. Disney hopes to leverage its household brand name and vast video library to offer much more than just voice.
A Disney spokeswoman said that the company is currently looking at following a similar strategy in other European countries and the rest of the world.
[ Source: Reuters ]
