Apple cellular network

Last week was full of speculation of Apple bidding for the 700MHz spectrum in the US. While this may or may not prove right, I have another concept for Steve Jobs. Why not become an MVNO or Mobile Virtual Network Operator? In Europe we are experiencing a tsunami of emerging MVNOs. Some of them are purely virtual, being no more than a brand, a web presence and a calling plan. Some build the entire core network infrastructure, including MSC's (Mobile Switching Centers), HLR's and all the galaxy of components composing a mobile network (less the radio transmitters and antennas). Each of them is targeting its own audience. Looking at this picture it looks pretty natural Apple should become an MVNO. The iPhone buyers are not happy about the AT&T alliance. They can live with AT&T just because they love Apple and they can withstand any torture just to be able to use the Apple product. This is a very loyal audience, feeling superior to anybody else. They are ready to spend a couple of hundred dollars every now and then when a new generation of iPods hits the streets. They stand in line at Apple Stores whenever a new product is introduced.

Apple has been giving them their own operating system for years, to power the best breed of computers. They followed Steve Jobs buying Power PC's and criticizing Intel even when it was known Apple was going the Intel route. Then they were purchasing the Intel machines just because there was an Apple logo on it. So why is Apple putting them now in the hands of the AT&T network? Wouldn't they feel better if their beloved iPhones were logging to the "own" Apple network, with Apple - centric user experience? Having its own mobile virtual network, Apple could offer a number of services targeted at iPhones. As it is the case with MacOS, it would have control of what is offered, how it is presented. Instead of negotiating a special data plan with AT&T to allow the iPhone users painlessly download iTunes music to their gadgets, having its own network would enable Apple to directly couple iTunes with voice and data plans of their own. And it's more. As with MacOS, Apple could control both the frontend layer (the iPhones) and the backend layer (the network and its services). And the Apple audience would feel good.

I am sure such a move was considered. Wonder why Steve Jobs did not choose to go that way. Wanted but could not due to technical reasons? Or rejected this route for other reasons?