VIDEO INTERVIEW: Operators must take greater advantage of their network and move into the apps space. So says David Thodey, Telstra’s chief executive, in a recent interview with Mobile World Live. But he sounded a note of caution.

“You’ve got to find areas that really make a difference to your customer,” he said. “Just because you’ve got the network doesn’t make you a player in applications, but there are areas we think we can start to take a presence.”

Earlier this year, Australia’s largest operator set up a new business unit – Global Applications and Platforms – to explore the potential. “We’ve also set up a ventures group to take early stake equity positions in what we think are innovative companies,” added the Telstra chief.

Thodey has a relatively relaxed attitude towards OTT players. “We work as close as we possibly can [with them] because if you’ve got your data pricing right then it leads to more usage of the network,” he said, but admitted to getting “very animated” when people are “not playing by the same rules”.

In terms of its network, Telstra started rolling out LTE at the end of 2011 and now covers two-thirds of Australia’s population. View the full interview to get an insight into Telstra’s LTE pricing strategy, as well as Thodey’s opinions on small cell technology and Telstra’s international expansion.