Voda chief: we're no dumb pipe

Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin says any content providers wishing to launch direct-to-consumer services will always have to work with Vodafone.

Speaking to the FT, Sarin argued that a mobile operator's 'unique gift' for billing secured its against becoming a dumb pipe for other people's data services, particularly those being offered by the likes of Apple, Google, Nokia and Sony Ericsson.

He said: "The simple fact that we have the customer and billing relationship is a hugely powerful thing that nobody can take away from us. Whoever comes into the marketplace is going to have to work through us."

The FT article points out that operators like Vodafone also manage valuable information about their customers, such as location for targeted search services.

However, with more than half of Voda's UK customers of the pre-paid variety there are obviously limits to that kind of data.