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

[Bill Horne]

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
https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/networking/articles/mobile-virtual-network-operator/offer
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.

https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/networking/articles/mobile-virtual-network-operator/

[David]

On 12/15/22 10:09 AM, Bill Horne wrote:
> 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.

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)

[John Levine]

According to David <wb8...@panix.com>:

>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...”

So is ours. We have a bunch of antennae on the municipal water tower which
unsurprisingly is atop the higest point in the village. I negotiated the
original contracts.

Now when I'm walking around I see small fill-in cell antennas on phone poles.

In many countries it is quite common for MNOs to allow access to each
other's towers in rural areas to improve coverage. Dunno how common
that is here. Until relatively recently they usually couldn't becuase
the systems weren't technically compatible, e.g. AT&T GSM vs VZ CDMA.

--
Regards,
John Levine, jo...@taugh.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly