Disney Mobile
Encyclopedia
Disney Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator
in the United States
which launched in June 2006 and ceased operations on December 31, 2007, but now it's a Mobile Virtual Network Operator in Japan
, re-opening on March 1, 2008. In the US, it operated on Sprint's CDMA
network. Disney Mobile was owned by The Walt Disney Company
, which had marketed the service to family subscribers. Wireless voice services, handsets and entertainment content were offered. Disney handled product development, distribution, marketing, customer relations and billing.
Disney Mobile's offering included multiple family-friendly applications to help parents manage their family's mobile phone experience. The innovative Family Monitor and Call Control features allowed parents to set spending limits and decide when the phone could and couldn't be used. The Family Locator service allowed parents to use GPS to locate the kid's phone. There was also a Family Alert! feature that let the whole family send text messages to each other.
Sprint is working with different national brands to expand its reach beyond its traditional customer base under its mobile virtual network operator strategy. Disney and Sprint had hoped that Disney Mobile content and applications would help drive demand for data services.
Sprint and Disney had previously launched a phone service for sports fans using content from Disney's sports channel, ESPN
. This service was branded Mobile ESPN
, and ceased operations in December 2006 due to poor sales. Disney continues to offer its branded content such as graphics, ring tones and games on NTT DoCoMo
in Japan
, and offers ESPN-specific content on Verizon Wireless
in the US.
It was believed that Disney Mobile also planned to start a service in the UK in 2006, with equivalent content and applications to the US MVNO. O2's network was rumored to be considered to operate the service. It is believed that the service was almost ready to launch before Disney decided the financial model was not viable and ended all development in August, 2006.
Disney announced on September 29, 2007 that Disney Mobile would cease its wireless operations as of December 31, 2007.
On March 2, 2008, Disney Mobile re-opened, but only in Japan, under a different phone company.
Mobile virtual network operator
A mobile virtual network operator is a company that provides mobile phone services but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which launched in June 2006 and ceased operations on December 31, 2007, but now it's a Mobile Virtual Network Operator in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, re-opening on March 1, 2008. In the US, it operated on Sprint's CDMA
Code division multiple access
Code division multiple access is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. It should not be confused with the mobile phone standards called cdmaOne, CDMA2000 and WCDMA , which are often referred to as simply CDMA, and use CDMA as an underlying channel access...
network. Disney Mobile was owned by The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, which had marketed the service to family subscribers. Wireless voice services, handsets and entertainment content were offered. Disney handled product development, distribution, marketing, customer relations and billing.
Disney Mobile's offering included multiple family-friendly applications to help parents manage their family's mobile phone experience. The innovative Family Monitor and Call Control features allowed parents to set spending limits and decide when the phone could and couldn't be used. The Family Locator service allowed parents to use GPS to locate the kid's phone. There was also a Family Alert! feature that let the whole family send text messages to each other.
Sprint is working with different national brands to expand its reach beyond its traditional customer base under its mobile virtual network operator strategy. Disney and Sprint had hoped that Disney Mobile content and applications would help drive demand for data services.
Sprint and Disney had previously launched a phone service for sports fans using content from Disney's sports channel, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. This service was branded Mobile ESPN
Mobile ESPN
ESPN MVP is a cellular phone-based sports information service offered by ESPN and Verizon Wireless. It has been carried on the Verizon Wireless Network after it was relaunched in May 2007 as the ESPN MVP. Previously known as Mobile ESPN, it was an Mobile Virtual Network Operator run by Disney using...
, and ceased operations in December 2006 due to poor sales. Disney continues to offer its branded content such as graphics, ring tones and games on NTT DoCoMo
NTT DoCoMo
is the predominant mobile phone operator in Japan. The name is officially an abbreviation of the phrase, "do communications over the mobile network", and is also from a compound word dokomo, meaning "everywhere" in Japanese. Docomo provides phone, video phone , i-mode , and mail services...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and offers ESPN-specific content on Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
in the US.
It was believed that Disney Mobile also planned to start a service in the UK in 2006, with equivalent content and applications to the US MVNO. O2's network was rumored to be considered to operate the service. It is believed that the service was almost ready to launch before Disney decided the financial model was not viable and ended all development in August, 2006.
Disney announced on September 29, 2007 that Disney Mobile would cease its wireless operations as of December 31, 2007.
On March 2, 2008, Disney Mobile re-opened, but only in Japan, under a different phone company.
See also
- The Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
- Sprint Nextel Corporation
- Mobile ESPNMobile ESPNESPN MVP is a cellular phone-based sports information service offered by ESPN and Verizon Wireless. It has been carried on the Verizon Wireless Network after it was relaunched in May 2007 as the ESPN MVP. Previously known as Mobile ESPN, it was an Mobile Virtual Network Operator run by Disney using...
- SoftBank Mobile
External links
- Disney Mobile Official Website
- Mickey Mouse goes wireless - Article on Cnet News.com
- Disney signs deal to offer family-friendly mobile phone service in the UK - O2 Press Release
- Disney scraps UK mobile plan
- Article about the shutdown of Disney Mobile