Chile's telecommunications regulator, Subtel, has formalized Virgin Mobile's MVNO licence, which will allow it to launch services nationally, TeleSemana reports. The operator had already announced that it would begin its Latin American expansion in Chile, and has not ruled out opening its regional headquarters there. The company plans to invest between USD 20 million and USD 25 million in the country and is thought likely to launch by June 2012. Virgin and its partner, Tribe Mobile, submitted their MVNO application in July. They will have to strike a network hosting agreement with one of Chile's mobile operators (Movistar, Entel, Claro) or upcoming carriers, VTR and Nextel. Virgin's Phil Wallace said that the regulator was very helpful in the company's market entry and that it welcomes the entry of a new specialised services provider. He added that it was the way of the world at present, where competition is in services rather than infrastructure.
