MEXICO CITY, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Spanish phone giant Telefonica hopes to operate with between five and 10 mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) in Mexico next year, a senior company executive said on Tuesday.

The company, which operates under the Movistar brand in Mexico, earlier this year signed deals with Virgin Mobile and supermarket retailer Coppel to act as virtual operators.

Juan Abellan, Telefonica's chief executive in Mexico, told reporters that he expects Virgin's service to be available in the second quarter of next year.

"We want to end the coming year working with between five and 10 virtual operators on the street," Abellan added.

"It's going to be something very different to what has been telecoms up until now in Mexico."

Mexico, Latin America's No. 2 economy, earlier this year passed a reform that aims to introduce more competition to its phone and television markets.

Mobile phone service in Mexico is dominated by Carlos Slim's America Movil which has about 70 percent of mobile lines. Telefonica is the second-biggest mobile service provider with about 20 percent of the market.