The facts

The mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) market continues to grow apace with forecasters projecting a healthy 6.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) taking the market size from $84.6 billion in 2023 to $116.8 billion in 2028. (MarketsAndMarkets – MVNO Market Report Global Forecast to 2028)

A number of verticals in this market are driving this growth:

• The explosive growth of cellular IOT devices – GSMA predicts the growth of cellular IOT devices to rise to 5.8 billion in 2030 from 3.5 billion in 2023 – that’s a huge CAGR of 65.7%. (GSMA Mobile Economy Report 2024)
• The continued rise of the BrandVNO with large brands in banking, retail and utilities looking to engender consumer stickiness with a branded mobile offering.
• Niche MVNOs, those offering boundary-less roaming, data only offerings, dedicated security applications for enterprise employees and a raft of players providing the expertise needed to lift off IOT deployment.

Overview

A mobile virtual network operator or MVNO delivers its services by piggy-backing off a mobile network operator (MNO). The MVNO concentrates on its core offering in the market, while the MNO provides the transport.

How tightly an MVNO is integrated with an MNO varies greatly. Some MVNOs focus almost entirely on branding, while others run their own networks, providing routing, OSS and BSS functions.

An MVNO can also utilise an MVNE – mobile virtual network enabler. The MVNE manages the connections to the MNOs and offers a range of platforms depending on the underlying offering (voice/data/IOT) from which the MVNO can manage their offering.

The challenges

Today’s mobile networks are in constant flux, as 4G makes way for 5G and operators prepare for the arrival of 6G. There are even discussions around extending the life of 2G networks for IOT.

Each technology differs not only at the radio interface, but also the underlying set of core network components utilising different signalling standards and protocols. The operational and business support services (OSS/BSS) layer provides the billing, mediation and provisioning functions.

These behemoths have to straddle all the network types and often interface different networks via sophisticated interworking functions.

To deliver their services, an MVNx must be able to successfully integrate into this constantly evolving morass of disparate networks, components and industry standards.

The key to success...

With over a decade‘s experience of working with MVNO and MVNE customers, Squire Technologies shares some insight and advice into how to minimise capex, utilise managed services to reduce opex and build agile networks using flexible core network products.

All credit for this press release to Squire Technologies.