Despite mobile operators’ often hyped-up promises for new 5G models, any disruption in the industry in 2017 was driven by non-traditional players, particularly cable providers such as Iliad of France and new entrants such as India’s Reliance Jio. Both these companies, and others like them, have been chipping away at the mobile market for some years now, but 2017 was the year when their impact on their respective countries was clear to see in terms of the shift in market share and service models. As incumbent rivals started to respond, this year, both are looking to expand on what they have achieved so far, RJio scaling up by acquiring the telecoms assets of Reliance Communications (RCOM), Iliad by making further…