When the Big Carriers Just Won't Do

A lot of people tend to choose among the Big 4 carriers in the United States whenever there is a need for them to choose a new wireless carrier. However, sometimes, even with the many contract options available and offered by the big carriers, none of them works to your advantage. This is where MVNOs and MVOs come in. To learn more about them, read on below:

What is an MVNO?
A mobile virtual network operator or MVNO is a service provider that does not own any infrastructure over which it provides its services. Rather, they rely heavily on MNOs (who DO have the necessary infrastructure). MNOs that have a lot of spare capacity might sell these as a cheaper price to MVNOs in order to avoid doing it themselves and potentially diluting their brand. This works out well for all parties since the MNO gets to earn from otherwise wasted capacity, the MVNO gets them at a cheaper price than what it would take if they were to have their own infrastructure, and the end users or the customers get these packages at cheaper rates and as they need it. Depending on the agreement made with the MNO, the MVNO might have its own customer and billing support systems in place, as well as sales and marketing personnel, or they might leave the billing operations up to the MNO who will bill customers on their behalf.

What is an MNO?
Different from the MVNO, the mobile network operator or MNO actually owns its infrastructure, and has all the things necessary to offer and provide services to customers. This means that MNOs have control over their network – however, on the other end of the spectrum, it also means they will be the ones receiving complaints from customers should there be any problems experienced by the end user. MNOs, though, can not only earn from selling their own services directly to customers, they can also obtain revenue by selling their network services to MVNOs, who, as previously discussed, does not own any of the infrastructure necessary to provide these services directly themselves.

Which one should I get?
Ultimately, whichever carrier you do decide to go with will depend on your needs. The great thing about MVNOs and MNOs is that they are generally a lot less expensive than the contracted services provided by the big 4. They can also serve as a pay-as-you-need-it mobile backup internet connection, particularly if you have a small business that relies on internet connectivity for payment transactions.

Whether you've already decided to get out of the clutches of the big carriers, or are just starting to plan to, it's very helpful to know the options available to you once you do. Just make sure your phone is set to accept other networks and you're good to go!