Is there really a market for MVNOs like this? It seems to me like a lot of overhead for getting essentially the same services as you would with a large carrier.

If you want to do anything with mobile you will find yourself constantly running into obstacles created by the operators. Sometimes it would be a lot easier if you ran your own mobile phone network.

How about a 'web2.0' mobile operator? Lovely unlocked handsets, open apis, unrestricted pipes, etc