This paper focuses on governance modes for service development of
mobile telephone networks (GSM, WAP, GPRS, UMTS). 'Services' refer to
services embodying a specific content. The paper shows that the phase
of the life cycle of the network and the service affects the choice of
governance mode of new service development projects. Governance modes
include internal development by the telecom operator, several forms of
collaboration between telecom operator and service firm, and only
providing a network by the telecom operator to the service firm, which
then develops and provides its services (external). In this paper a
model is developed for the governance mode of service development in
different phases of the life cycles of the mobile network and service,
based on the degrees of uncertainty and urgency involved in the
network and service development processes. Four cases are presented of
service development projects for mobile telecom networks. These cases
indicate that the number of redesigns and the level of communication
costs in collaboration projects indeed depend on the degree of urgency
and uncertainty involved in these projects, which are in turn affected
by the life cycle of the network and service