There is an awkward tension in the mobile sector. Operators decry the notion that they are ‘dumb pipes,’ simply utility providers of connectivity, and complain about falling revenues. But in the same breath, they say it is impossible to make the systemic changes needed to evolve their businesses. Those who continue to focus all their efforts on reducing cost-per-bit will only be left behind – and may even end up in the hands of hungry private equity investors. One of the often-used complaints of MNOs, and one commonly heard from the Telefonica pulpit, is that data consumption is rising inexorably. The Spanish-headquartered multinational wrote in a recent LinkedIn post that “every year data traffic grows by 30%. It is a…