Apple could launch its own cellular network – analyst

The growing popularity of eSIMs could allow Apple and other phone manufacturers to launch their own cellular networks, a telecoms analyst says.
Barry Collins for Forbes:
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eSIMs — which replace the conventional SIM card found in phones with a small chip that’s permanently embedded in the phone — are becoming increasingly commonplace. Indeed, Apple itself launched an eSIM-only version of the iPhone 14 in the U.S. in 2022, a move that has accelerated adoption of eSIMs.
With eSIMs eradicating the need to distribute physical SIM cards and allowing cellular networks to activate customers instantly, a growing number of companies have set themselves up as virtual networks, including Western Union, Revolut and various airlines.
Apple and other smartphone manufacturers could also launch their own virtual networks, technology analyst firm CCS Insight claims. “What’s to stop an OEM [original equipment manufacturer] like Apple themselves offering eSIM capabilities?” said CCS Insight’s senior analyst, Luke Pearce, during a webinar on eSIM technology.
Although companies such as Apple or Samsung would still be reliant on the physical infrastructure provided by conventional networks such as Verizon or T-Mobile, by becoming a virtual network they would own the direct relationship with the consumer, posing a threat to those established cellular network giants.

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MacDailyNews Take: Not likely to happen anytime soon, but it could someday. It would certainly make things simpler to have Apple as the virtual network provider which could be used to give subscribers discounts on purchases and/or on Apple One bundles.
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