CABLE TV and telecoms provider UPC Ireland is likely to launch a mobile phone service here to bolster its existing triple-play offering of digital TV, broadband and fixed-line telephone.

"It's on the horizon but it's not something we will be launching this year," UPC Ireland chief executive Dana Strong told The Irish Timesin her first media interview since taking over in May.

“Over time, it would be a good feature to add to our product kit. We’ve said before that we’re interested, we’re open-minded, we’ll explore it, but we won’t be doing that before Christmas.”

Ms Strong said UPC would launch as an MVNO – a virtual operator piggybacking on the network of an existing mobile company. “Our DNA comes from the cable and TV sector and not the mobile sector. It’s better to learn via an MVNO relationship rather than go out and build a network. The [Irish] market is very well served with multiple global networks right now.”

The mobile market here is highly competitive, with Vodafone, O2, Eircom, 3, Tesco and Postfone all competing for market share.

Just Mobile, another MVNO, recently went out of business, citing a lack of financial backing to allow it to reach profitability.

“That was interesting,” Ms Strong added. “It goes to show how hard it can be if you are a standalone operator and you don’t have the financial backing of a large parent like Liberty [Global] and you don’t have the brand equity.” UPC is owned by Colorado-based Liberty Global International, a listed company with operations across the world.

“They are starting to become involved in mobile in other markets,” Ms Strong said. “In Chile they are building a mobile network. The Netherlands is launching an MVNO service, so we are dipping our toes in the water.”

UPC would seek to bundle mobile with its existing digital TV, phone and broadband services and market it to the 807,000 homes in its catchment area.

The company has spent about €400 million upgrading its cable network in recent years and has 224,800 broadband customers, 121,200 phone connections and 384,600 digital TV subscribers.