This article was taken from the April 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
You don't need very much equipment to set up your own mobile network -- mobile virtual network aggregators (MVNAs) do most of the hard work in turning different brands into telecoms players.
MVNA x-Mobility recently set up Boy Better Know Mobile for grime crew Boy Better Know, and football-telecoms company Soccertel runs pay-as-you-go plans for fans of both Crystal Palace and Bury football clubs.
Grow your brand
The two must-haves in order to create your network are a strong brand and scalability. Shanks Kulam, who is chief marketing officer at x-Mobility (which piggybacks on Three's network), says: "As long as we feel that a brand is going to add value and that it will be viable in terms of customer numbers, then we'll be happy to launch it."
Build an audience
To set up your own mobile network you need a sizeable customer base -- don't expect to be setting one up for the family anytime soon. Realistically, there is a lower limit for the numbers. You need to be able to access a user base of about 5,000 to 10,000 people in the first 12-18 months of starting up -- any lower and the sums won't work.
Fill in the gaps
Now it's just a case of building your service. The mobile virtual network aggregators will fill in what you don't have, from SIM-card branding to call centres and customised top-up services. This is where the decisions about money will come in -- the price will differ wildly depending on what you need.
Get your marketing right
It's up to you to find the best way to access potential users --
Boy Better Know used YouTube and Twitter, and Soccertel gives free match tickets to its users. "To get users it's not just the setting up," says Darren King, Three's wholesale-sales manager. "It's the marketing you've got to do to get those customers on board, and the ongoing care you'll give them."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
