Is independence a viable strategy? The case of Millicom International: A regular column on the information industries

Everyone has heard of the likes of Vodafone and Orange, but if asked to name the 20 most prominent international mobile operators many of those questioned might not get around to including Millicom International Cellular, an operator controlled by Swedish telecoms and media group Kinnevik which merged its international cellular interests together with those of the then Millicom Incorporated in December 1990. Table I indicates why this is so. Most obviously, Millicom – which mainly uses the “Tigo” brand – operates in Asia, Latin America and Africa whereas it is absent from Europe (despite its Luxembourg head office) and the...