It depends on how it works out, but I could see a model in the near future where the infrastructure and selling the service are split up. There's already a bunch of MVNOs (Mobile virtual network operators), and that will only grow. There will be a point where network operators are really just doing that: operating the network, not selling you minutes. That would allow network operators to focus on their core competence (or what should be their core competence), operating a good, reliable network. All too often now, the telecom industry feels like bait and switch or an extortion scheme...
On an aside note, there's a group of students here in the Netherlands that want to do that: setup a MVNO as a coop or a non-profit, that will essentially give you SIP/data of your calls, instead of handling routing from A-Z. See http://limesco.org/wordpress/, though most of it is in Dutch.
And getting back to Apple: an iPhone MVNO could work well. On the other hand, Apple has rules about selling iPhones on networks that make Apple like a carrier already: iPhone data has to be 2x as fast as any other comparable plan, etc. Apple has the carriers in their grip...
On an aside note, there's a group of students here in the Netherlands that want to do that: setup a MVNO as a coop or a non-profit, that will essentially give you SIP/data of your calls, instead of handling routing from A-Z. See http://limesco.org/wordpress/, though most of it is in Dutch.
And getting back to Apple: an iPhone MVNO could work well. On the other hand, Apple has rules about selling iPhones on networks that make Apple like a carrier already: iPhone data has to be 2x as fast as any other comparable plan, etc. Apple has the carriers in their grip...