The mysterious acronym MVNO often appears in articles about telecommunications. Could there be something sinister behind these four letters? 🕵️♂️ Absolutely not! It's the designation for one type of mobile operator. Find out what makes an operator virtual and if you can benefit from it.
Who is an MNO and an MVNO?
The world of technology loves English terms, and when there are many of them, it loves to create acronyms. It's exactly the same in this case, and to move forward, let's first clarify the basic concepts. MNO, or mobile network operator, is nothing more than a mobile network operator. The mysterious letter "v" appearing in the abbreviation MVNO stands for the addition of virtual. So, MVNO is nothing more than a virtual mobile network operator.
A virtual mobile network operator, what does that mean? Not real?
Real, of course! Virtuality in this case has nothing to do with artificiality.
A virtual mobile network operator is a company that provides telecommunications services to end customers (sometimes businesses and sometimes individuals). At the same time, it does not build or maintain network infrastructure.
Sound complicated? Maybe let's discuss it using our example.
For Mobile Vikings, the technical partner is P4, which is the PLAY network operator. As an MVNO, we have a cooperation agreement with P4 regarding wholesale access to the PLAY network. So, you could say that we buy wholesale access to their network from P4 and then pass this access on to Vikings who want to sail under our flag. In summary, in the area related to the network and connecting with other users, we rely on P4. In all other aspects, we are completely independent of PLAY.
Benefits of the MVNO Model
Due to its operating model, a virtual operator is usually much smaller than its larger counterpart. What's more, many different MVNOs can operate on the network of one MNO, each targeting different audiences.
And so, there can be companies that specialize in offers directed to:
- the digitally excluded,
- digital natives,
- companies dealing with the Internet of Things,
- many, many others – depending on who the MVNO wants to reach and make life easier for.
One thing is certain: the service model and the design of products offered on the market will be better tailored to the needs of the target group in an MVNO. This is possible due to the smaller scale.
Mobile Vikings: Human, Hassle-Free, and Feature-Rich
Mobile Vikings aims to deliver a simple and universally useful offer. And all of this combined with the least amount of hassle for Vikings. That's precisely why we have an app, automation, and generous data packages that are meant to last. 🔥
On the other hand, we dislike impersonal and mass approaches to customer relationships. We've experienced them ourselves elsewhere. That's why we do things our own way, laid-back and cool. Exactly as we'd want to be treated ourselves. There's no room for "mastery" or platitudes here. Our Help Desk is within reach. Anyone can "check it out" and see how it works in practice.
And now for the sweet ending of this story – recommendations. We want to be great and not disappoint. We want Vikings to be satisfied. We believe that if we're cool, Vikings will say good things about us and recommend us further. And as we grow, we know how to give back, which is why, as the only network, we offer the option of using services #forfree. A Viking knows they've recommended something good, and at the same time, a few PLN will land in their pocket.
Limitations of the MVNO Model
Being a virtual operator also has its limitations. These are mainly related to the technical infrastructure offered by the infrastructure operator. Our coverage and frequencies are the same as what P4 offers. Looking at PLAY's achievements in building new base stations, we believe it's a good partner for our Vikings.
Furthermore, our telco capabilities are also closely tied to what P4 has. For example, we won't have eSIM with multiple devices faster than PLAY, we won't have full 5G faster than PLAY, we won't have VoLTE support for devices other than PLAY. That's life.
There are, of course, MVNO models where a virtual operator has slightly more telco technology. At Mobile Vikings, we try to limit this to a minimum. Thanks to this, we can invest our time and resources in developing what is most important to us, namely our relationship with you – the Vikings.
MVNO in Poland and Worldwide
The telco world looks a bit different in Poland and in other countries. Each market has its specifics, and users are accustomed to different solutions.
Mobile Networks in Poland
There are quite a few virtual operators on our market – mainly using the network resources of P4 and Polkomtel. In addition, there are also many B-brands, i.e., brands owned by MNOs, which pretend to be more or less independent.
Does this matter to you as a customer? It matters in the sense that you can entrust your data to a large company or a small one. Such a nearly "craft" company will treat you like a human being, not just another number in a table. PLAY doesn't know who the owners of Viking numbers are. And this is even despite the obligation to register numbers and SIM cards. Your personal data is safe with us, and, by Odin, we won't give it to anyone who isn't legally obliged to do so.
MVNO Mobile Operators Worldwide
Globally, the MVNO model is somewhat more popular than in Poland. For example, in the UK, over 20% of the entire telecommunications market is controlled by virtual operators. Is this good? It certainly shows that customers there approach who their provider is and what services they need more consciously.
It's no longer an obvious choice to go to one of the marketing-heavily invested networks to buy a SIM card. In a sense, it's a lifestyle decision that says who you are, what's important to you, and what values you follow.
After all, an operator is an intermediary between you and the whole world. It's worth choosing something you value and like, not just what's cheapest or most common on the market. Do you agree? If so: check out how to transfer your number to Mobile Vikings.
