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What Is A Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)? Working, Services, and Examples [telecom]

An MVNO rents infrastructure from one or more cellular network carriers to provide competitive mobile connectivity plans.

By Chiradeep BasuMallick

A mobile virtual network operator is a communications service provider that does not use its own infrastructure to provide connectivity but leases out infrastructure from one or more cellular network carriers to

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a more competitive mobile connectivity plan. This article explains the workings, services, and examples of MVNOs.

The term mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) refers to a company that sells wireless communication services. MVNOs employ third-party infrastructure, as opposed to traditional mobile network operators (MNOs), who operate their infrastructure. Instead, they rent it from MNOs and use the infrastructure to provide a particular set of services to their markets.

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Reply to
Bill Horne
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Except, what infrastructure the MNO owns is also a real question. They may or may not own “their” cell sites. They may have a contract with someone to build and own a site, with an exclusive lease agreement. (Why? CAPEX(1) vs. lease expense are different to the IRS.)

And way out in the boonies, they may be on a site owned by a third party, and having a non-exclusive lease with that party. “Our town is so small it has one and only one cell tower...”

And the site owners may well be renting tower space from the tower owner. Don't forget the leased fiber backhaul or point-to-point microwave link {likely leased....} from the tower to the switching office.

The vitally important part the MNO *does* have, and the MVNO does NOT, is .... the FCC license for that cell site. Beyond that, it’s Hollywood bookkeeping.

  1. (Capital expenditures -mod)
Reply to
David

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