Brits were the first ones to experiment with the virtual mobile operator business model, successfully I might add. Their continental counterparts were quick to embrace Skype, and now I see another broadband innovation comes from the old continent: virtual broadband operators. Apparently, Chelsea FC, one of the major soccer clubs in UK is going to start offering broadband service to its fans. The service will be powered by Viatel. Another major club, Manchester United is jumping on the bandwagon as well.

Lucy Woods, CEO Viatel said, “There are over 50,000 new broadband subscribers every week. Football fans, who alone make up 45[1] per cent of this market, want access to great exclusive content and the ability to download it quickly. At Viatel we believe this will be a key driver in the uptake and renewal of broadband services.”

Fans and users of these services – 2megabyte/second for about 29 pounds a month will get the subscribers tons of free downloads, highlights and other Chelsea specific content. Streaming overseas games not easily available on television is part of the offering. So how soon can we expect this to come stateside? I say soon, real soon!