MobileVirtualNetworkOperator
Latest
The Post Office is shutting down its year-old mobile network
Competition among mobile providers in the UK is fierce, with four major carriers and many, many more mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) beneath them. On a battlefield that busy, casualties are inevitable, and already this year we've seen Mobile by Sainsbury's put out to pasture. And now we have another fatality, with the Post Office confirming the closure of its mobile service on August 8th. According to the online notice, the Post Office "decided to conclude the trial as the results did not give us sufficient confidence that mobile will contribute to our goal of commercial sustainability."
The People's Operator now has a super-cheap 4G plan
When The People's Operator (TPO) launched in the UK in 2012, it stood out for two reasons. On the one hand, a quarter of the company's profits are piped into a charitable foundation, and 10 percent of subscriber spend goes to a charity of their choice. Kudos where kudos is due, but initially high data costs seriously limited the MVNO's potential audience. In subsequent years, TPO -- which piggybacks on EE's network -- has improved the attractiveness of its tariffs, though they've remained 3G-only. Today, however, TPO has finally caught up with the times, announcing its first 4G plan with 2GB of data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts for £7 per month.
The People's Operator launches in the UK -- a charitable MVNO for data haters
Another mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) has joined the fray in the UK today -- The People's Operator (TPO). The main hook of this entrant is relatively low calling and text costs, and with 25% of the company's profits going to its own charitable foundation, you know all that nattering is doing some good (you can also assign 10% of your monthly spend to a specific cause). You should get decent coverage piggybacking on EE's towers, and it's expected to share its new 4G network with TPO in the future. The MVNO doesn't really cater to those who like their data, however, as the current cost is a flat 12.5p per MB, and the pay-as-you-go bundles launching in December don't come much cheaper (£17.50 per month for a 500MB allowance). That may well put off smartphone users, as several other carriers like Three and giffgaff offer unlimited data at similar prices. Pay monthly contracts and handsets are coming soon, but at the moment, TPO is a PAYG, SIM-only provider. If the combination of cheap calls and charity has sparked your interest, head over to the source link to learn more.
Solavei MVNO will pay you when your friends sign up, $49 a month all-in for those without any
Unlike regular mobile networks, virtual operators -- or MVNOs -- have none of those expensive cellular infrastructures to worry about. Newcomer, Solavei, (which rides atop T-Mobile) is using this freedom to focus in on its business model. Just out of beta, the provider is offering unlimited voice, text and data for $49 per month, or free. Free? Well, if you're silver-tongued enough to talk friends and family into signing up, too, you'll get $20 kickback a month for every three -- or "trio" as the marketing calls it -- that you convince. There are other bonuses and chances to earn money -- all obviously aimed at spreading the network's audience, and offsetting the lower overheads. You can also use your own unlocked phone, or buy one of the three that Solavei currently offers (HTC One X, Wildfire S and ZTE Origin). This isn't the first time we've seen such philanthropic approaches, and it might smack a little bit of MLM, but if your after an all-you-can eat mobile deal, and have a large group of friends, this could be a nice little earner. Still not sold? Perhaps the feel-good corporate video after the break will switch that up.
Ting becomes first US MVNO to hop the Galaxy S III bandwagon, outlines its device roadmap
Ting has drawn a lot of attention among MVNOs for its unique mix-and-match approach to contract-free plans, but it's had to contend with some rather middling phones inherited from its network partner Sprint. That gap in high-end phones will narrow before the summer's up: Ting plans to carry the Galaxy S III within three to six weeks, becoming the first virtual carrier in the US to tout Samsung's flagship. Its version is identical to the Sprint model and will even cost $20 less when you skip Sprint's two-year term, at $529 for a 16GB edition and $579 for its 32GB cousin. If that doesn't satisfy the appetite, Ting is also giving a peek at its menu for the months ahead. Along with adopting LTE this year to make that Galaxy S III hum, the carrier expects to bring in a more moderately-priced LTE phone, a hotspot, an accessible phone and a budget slider. We wouldn't base any carrier switches around an iPhone or Windows Phone option, though. There's only "some progress" coaxing a deal out of Apple, and a Windows Phone is most likely to wait until the first quarter of 2013.
FreedomPop jumping from WiMAX to LTE by year's end, iPhone sleeves intact
Followers of FreedomPop's saga have seen the fledgling data-only provider make a few audacious claims: providing free bandwidth, for one, and basing its 4G device lineup as much on iPhone sleeve cases as on traditional access points. Add another one to the list -- the MVNO is planning to switch from Clearwire's WiMAX network to Sprint's LTE before 2012 is over. While FreedomPop is still planning to go forward with WiMAX for the initial deployment, it's now looking to use tri-mode EV-DO, LTE and WiMAX modems and phone cases just months later. We'll see if that leads to existing iPhone 4 and 4S owners getting an LTE fix without having to spring for a new phone; marketing VP Tony Miller wouldn't tell GigaOM more. Either way, it's a mixed blessing for data addicts that might find themselves crashing that much faster through the 500MB regular cap on free data.
Amazon offers prepaid 4G LTE data in Japan, gets you online 500MB at a time
Amazon has decided that offering 3G-capable Kindles isn't enough of an involvement in the cellular world -- it's now getting into the business of offering the bits themselves. Through a tie-up with NTT DoCoMo-using MVNO Japan Communications, Amazon is selling prepaid SIM cards for LTE data. Each slice of plastic and circuitry will provide a 500MB block of sweet, sweet 4G for ¥1,980 ($25). There's a very good chance we'd burn through that in a day, but it'll let you get an NTT DoCoMo-ready smartphone or Arrows Tab online in a pinch. The Japanese can snap up the cards later in the month, while those of us in the US will just have to hope that Amazon can make a similar (if hopefully cheaper) deal closer to home.
GameStop Mobile launches as AT&T virtual carrier, gives us rare bring-your-own GSM in US (update)
Here's an expansion of mobile competition in the US that comes out of left field, even for us: GameStop as a cellular provider. GameStop Mobile, as it's called, is that rare bird of an AT&T-based MVNO that relies on a bring-your-own-device strategy. As long as your hardware works on AT&T's 850MHz and 1,900MHz bands and isn't locked to another carrier, you can bring any GSM- and HSPA-based phone (or data-only device) and use it contract-free: rates start at anything from a strictly pay-as-you-go $5 through to a $55 monthly plan with unlimited voice and text, if just an anemic 500MB of data. Tablet owners and other data-only fans can pay the same $55 for 1GB per month -- a bit stiff considering that those on AT&T proper can get 5GB of data for slightly less. No doubt this is to take advantage of iPad and iPhone trade-ins, PlayStation Vitas and the overall rise of unlocked devices. We're just wondering whether GameStop will catch a few customers subscribing as they pick up their Diablo III pre-orders or else face the uncertain future that befalls many MVNOs. Update: As our friends at Joystiq have pointed out, the GameStop Mobile website is no longer publicly accessible. Looks like someone may have pulled the switch a bit too early.
New carrier Voyager Mobile starts May 15th, promises rewards for chatting it up
Competition among US cellular carriers is about to get a bit fiercer with a fresh national network that will actively encourage using your phone rather than setting hard limits. Newcomer (and MVNO on Sprint's network) Voyager Mobile is teasing a "frequent talker program" that will give all kinds of perks for the more talkative among us: call your Aunt Ruth a lot and you'll get phone upgrades, free months of service and smaller nice-to-haves like air mileage and gift cards. That's helped by Voyager starting off at $19 a month for unlimited voice, although picking a smartphone in the early catalog will hike that to a still rather thrifty $39 for all-unlimited voice, text and WiMAX data. If you're tempted by the price and don't mind an early phone roster that focuses on mostly Android-based carryovers like the LG Optimus S, Motorola XPRT or Samsung's Conquer 4G and Epic 4G Touch, Voyager will swing the virtual doors open for some states (with more to follow) when its countdown expires on May 15th.
Lightsquared signs deal with AirTouch, creates its first MVNO
LightSquared added another name to its list of allies yesterday, with a wholesale agreement allowing AirTouch products to dabble in the world of wireless. The phone manufacturer, which makes telecom devices that work with voice, data and video, looks set to become the first newly created MVNO to use LightSquared's 4G goodness. Of course, all this is assuming that the nascent network actually gets off the ground. But now that it's supposedly solved that pesky GPS interference problem, what could possibly stop it?
Zer01 is the new, contract-less MVNO that will bring VOIP to the mobile masses
2008 marked the end for many a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), most going under in a flood of bankruptcies or getting consumed but their parent networks. It sure seems like no company in its right mind would want to wade back into that graveyard, but Zer01 is thinking differently, pledging to launch a new network within a network next month at CTIA 2009. Its services will be provided by AT&T, but it'll undercut the competition with a combination of a $69.95 monthly unlimited voice and data plan and a complete lack of contracts, as well as unlimited international calling (to 40 countries) for just an extra $10. What's the catch? The company will rely on a VOIP application for routing of all calls, and right now that app only works on Windows Mobile. That'll be a roadblock for many, and given AT&T's somewhat limited (and generally flaky) 3G data coverage we're a little concerned about call quality, but just the same can't wait to see how this one turns out.[Via Unwired View and PC Magazine]
Qualcomm planning healthcare MVNO
As if the U.S. doesn't have enough MVNOs these days, CDMA pioneer Qualcomm plans on launching one with a healthcare focus. The new company, LifeComm, has been designed to have broad customer appeal -- not just for medical professionals -- and was created by Qualcomm and some unnamed partners. It's reportedly set for launch sometime in late 2008, featuring in-phone services that give advice and information on fitness, weight management or reduction, diabetes management and heart health. Past the phone, the MVNO will also offer services for wellness, fitness and even health maintenance. With ESPN Mobile folding not long ago, will such a narrow focus be enough for LifeComm?[Via mocoNews]
Amp'd Mobile inches towards 200,000 customer mark
It turns out our fears that MVNOs would fall out like flies before finding their footing might be overblown -- for some of 'em, anyway. Want proof? Amp'd Mobile states that it is nearing the 200,000-customer mark after having a pretty strong first quarter to kick off 2007. Just three months ago at the top of the year, Amp'd said that that it had ended 2006 with more than 100,000 customers. One quarter later, the MVNO has apparently almost doubled that number -- impressive indeed. Some highlights: Amp'd gained 87,000 new activations in the first quarter of 2007, with 84% of that being of the postpaid kind. The average revenue per user (ARPU) hovered in the area of $100 per month as well, which is twice the industry average.
Sprint bundles unlimited calling, texting and web access
Since Sprint Nextel is one of the few national wireless carriers here in the U.S. without prepaid calling plans, it seemed to us that 2007 might have become the year that the CDMA carrier wised up and offered wireless service to those with suboptimal credit -- or those who are not liking long-term contracts. Well, Sprint has dropped a bomb of sorts and has announced a few plans applicable to the San Francisco area only (for now) which include unlimited voice calling, messaging and mobile web access -- all for $120 per month. Add unlimited PC access through a Sprint handset or modem and you arrive at a $150 per month price -- just $30 more. Sprint's calling this the "grenade" plan, and we can see why. Throwing down unlimited wireless voice, texting and handset web access for such a cheap price may blow up some of the competition's plans -- perhaps even outside the wireless arena. In a high-tech area like the Bay Area, this is indeed going to be a hot potato. Will MVNOs like Helio and Amp'd Mobile pick up the challenge? Yes -- this is a trial only, and in one market at this time. Here's hoping the Sprint folks find it in their hearts to roll this out nationwide. We just hope the network quality does not go down with the price.[Via Phone Scoop]
