Opinions varied on the logic behind NTL’s proposed acquisition of Virgin Mobile, and even whether it would happen at all, but the deal would be worth seeing go through just to see how a cable operator would attempt to market quadruple play.
When NTL confirmed it had proposed a share deal to take over the sales and marketing operation that is Virgin Mobile, the instant thought was that Virgin was finding the exit route while the MVNO concept still had legs, and before every large consumer business risks consumer fatigue by launching mobile operations.
Fixed players looking at adding mobile to their armoury are likely to find customers fickle and demanding, even by the standards of an ISP and television provider much castigated in the past for its customer service.
The truth is that people are more resistant to the idea of buying all their services from one brand than the marketeers claim, and that is more true in Europe where brands do not dominate consciousness to the extent they do in the USA.
But the industry interest if it does go ahead will be in seeing how a company like NTL goes about bundling services packages and content.
Certainly Jerome Buvat, managing consultant at Capgemini Telecom, Media and entertainment, thought the move is a defensive one on both parts. He also said NTL would struggle to integrate Virgin Mobile at the same time as merging the Telewest business.