On August 3, in a now unavailable page, Business Insider reported that Apple might becoming a mobile carrier by launching a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service in the US and Europe. This rumor got a lot of attention, because it would be amazing if it were true. Using an Apple SIM card to hop around mobile carrier networks depending on signal strength seems like a good business decision for Apple, and a good service for consumers. Apple, however, denied the rumors.

Apple already has Apple-SIM for iPads, which let Apple act as an MVNO, but has yet to expand this service to its iPhone. Although Apple has thus far denied the rumors, it is still very possible they may in the future launch a MNVO.

Currently there are many MNVOs regionally available, like Boost Mobile, TracFone, FamilyTalk Wireless, and many others. Apple becoming an international MNVO would be a serious move in this industry. Unfortunately, this rumor is still in “rumor” stage, where companies will publicly deny everything. Hopefully the Apple mobile carrier rumors will develop like the Apple car/Project Titan have, into real projects substantiated by more than unnamed sources.

Apple’s strong denial of the MNVO report suggests to some at The Verge that Apple might not be involved in becoming an MNVO at all. The usual response to a “true” rumor from the Cupertino company is silence.