I see in ITWeb today that MTN have announced that they are buying Verizon. More industry consolidation. We have yet to see any real signs of Vodacom's decision to build rather than acquire and ISP in order to address the lack of a data focused Service Provision arm (yeah, sure they'll be quick to tell you they offer 3G/HSDPA, but there is more to IP than basic connectivity). MTN, who have "had" MTNNS for years, have not really (imho) made the most of the hay while the sun was shining happily on them. They've functioned more or less as cousins who tolerate each other's presence in deference to a common lineage rather than as close family collaborating to mutual benefit.
So, what will MTN do with Verizon, a solid operation which has been hamstrung by bureaucracy forced on them by a large multinational parent? Will they end up another distant cousin, or will we see some innovative converged services appearing? Time will tell.
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