Last June, Qualcomm announced its MulteFire technology, which sets LTE free from licensed spectrum by allowing 4G small cells to run in the 5 GHz band. Unlike other approaches such as LTE-LAA (Licensed Assisted Access), also heavily backed by Qualcomm, MulteFire does not require an anchor network in a licensed band, and so could potentially be used by non-MNOs. Despite its gut instinct to defend the power of the mobile operators, Qualcomm seems to want to tap into the idea that, in future, a wider range of service providers will need to offer mobile connectivity, and many of these will not take on the expense of spectrum ownership or large-scale MVNO deals. Cable operators in the US and China are…