With a dedication to the growth of the MVNO industry and its expert roster of guest authors – the MVNO Index has spent the past year delivering a range of voices that explore the industry’s opportunities and challanges. As some one who has advocated across the globe for this industry, I have been honored to be a part of the process and growth with the team here at the MVNO Index. To that end, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate their most recent milestone of 2.5 Million Google impression in just under 18 months.
In an industry where good information can be as scarce as 900 MHz spectrum, the MVNO Index fills a vital gap. By providing accurate information and uncensored commentary, the site equips entrapresnuers, operators, and instituions alike with important insights and access needed to navigate this complex market turning this platform into a leading resource for anyone serious about mobile virtual networks. In addition, their guest blog contributors have captured globally relevant developments despite the ever-evolving nature of the sector and encouraged deeper reflection on the forces shaping it.
So, to Mr Walter Borman – congrats and gratitude my friend – the MVNO Index not only benefits individual companies; but strengthens the health of the MVNO landscape as a whole. And to all my fellow guest authors whose insights have been shared over the past year—thank you for your contributions. Your willingness to share hard‑won experience makes this community smarter, sharper, and better prepared for whatever’s next.
Below is my first annual TOP TEN LIST – a year‑in‑review of the topics and key take-aways from this unique group of industry experts. And as we head into the final quarter of the year I encourage you to reflect on how these themes intersect with your own work, your strategic relationships, and your role within the ecosystem today.
I also welcome your feedback.
Did I capture the trends and themes you’ve seen throughout the year? Did I miss a groundbreaking strategy or overlook a major industry challange? Share your own opinions and experiences in the comments or on social media. After all, the future of the MVNO industry will be shaped not just by those who write the headlines, but by the collective voices of everyone engaged in it.
Top 10 Themes & Takeaways
1. AI and Data-driven MVNOs
Of course like everything in the past year, the first trend on our list centres on AI, both the high and the lows of if its potential and its limitations regarding MVNOs. In “Unlocking true power of AI” Sanjay Pandey notes that AI is just maths and that quality data – rather than vendor hype – determines success. However real‑time analytics on huge volumes of data requires significant compute power; scaling AI efficiently while controlling costs is challenging. This theme of building a solid data foundation using AI shows up frequently in posts throughout the year positioning MVNEs/MVNAs as the layer where AI may have its most valuable integration. Regardless of where the integration lies; AI is posed to enable a host of operational benefits for MVNOs across the entire commercial structure. Contirbutors believe that AI models can predict network slowdowns due to events, automate SIM management and spread capacity fairly across tenants. They alsop highlights its capability to detect billing errors and fraud in real time, short‑list service providers, forecast inventory for eSIMs or devices, and support dynamic pricing. Or suggest generate new plan ideas, analyse customer data for churn prediction and personalise campaigns. Chatbots and AI‑driven self‑care portals are highlighted as ways to reduce support costs and improve customer experience while Self‑care portals provide real‑time usage data and allow subscription management.
Most interestingly is a post by Brian Latchford’s “Telecom Singularity” which speculates on AI‑driven networks that could become self‑aware, automatically reallocating bandwidth during disasters or stopping ransomware attacks an truly interesting theory. However, as with all AI, he warns of ethical dilemmas such as control, bias and privacy. As a further voice of caution contributor, Ndirangu Kibata cites McKinsey research showing that while 55% of companies have adopted AI, few have turned it into profits. A risk that seems well-known across industry as highlighted in “AI – What are the next steps, MVNOs?” which acknowledges high C‑suite interest while warning that generative AI has yet to deliver and still demands proper integration for any sort of success. Yet most agree that MVNOs which ignore AI will be overtaken by disruptors and those that integrate AI into product design, customer care and operations will dominate in the long-run.
2. Niche MVNOs & community building.
Many authors across the past year have championed building MVNOs around communities rather than general audiences this is a value proposition that has served the MVNO industry well since the early days of Virgin Mobile. While there are still struggles “Legacy Tech is Killing MVNO Innovation” from Kevin Maag shows how some of the fastest‑growing MVNOs have succeed by targeting truckers, travelers, crypto users and faith communities despite those challenges.
In “MVNO Differentiators – Community and VAS” Erik Maag further explains how value-added services like telemedicine and roadside assistance or ‑ educational benefits like financial literacy can drive loyalty in unique community based MVNOs.
While Damien Hansen’s sports‑MVNO piece “Putting MVNO own goals behind to capture old audiences in a new way” urges publishers to leverage fan passion and bundle content and connectivity for growing a profitable user base. As they have steadily for the past two decades, MVNOs will must continue to evolve into digital service providers delivering personalised value propositions, micro‑segmented offers and ecosystem partnerships. They msut figure out ways to monetise beyond SIM cards through loyalty, bundling and value‑added services.
3. Edge computing, 5G and IoT.
Often considered the gateqway to IoT, MVNOs have always been closely linked to edgecomputing. In “What’s giving telecoms an ‘edge’?” from John Freeman we see how edge computing and local packet‑gateway services can bring processing close to users, reduce latency and create new revenue streams such as industrial IoT, AR/VR and smart‑city solutions. Additionally posts on the “2G/3G shutdown” from Ajna Jalim explain how the retirement of old networks paves the way for 5G, VoLTE and LPWAN technologies – all the potential playing ground for smart MVNOs to profit while delivering consumer benefits This decentralised architecture is positioned as essential for future‑proofing networks.
4. MVNE/MVNA evolution.
Mauricio Falck Key insights highlight the growth of “MVNE/MVNAs -transforming from backend plumbers into AI‑driven platform builders“. By aggregating data and providing open APIs – they can create insight‑as‑a‑service for their MVNO partners. Contributions suggested that they will sell regional intelligence dashboards to city planners and enterprises. In addition, MVNEs are presented as compliance partners who can help shoulder legal and regulatory burdens for brands. This could be a major point of value for MVNE/MVNA’s looking to differentiate themselves to MVNOs who are scaling cross-border.
5. Digital vs. physical marketing.
Casey Zavaleta’s “Too Many Ads, Too Little Impact” laments that Americans see 3,000–5,000 digital ads daily but only notice roughly 100 – that’s 2–3%. This makes it expontentially harder for MVNOs to stand out – especially against the big ad budgets of the MNOs. Zavaleta warns that reliance on digital alone leads to wasted marketing spend and argues that MVNOs should return to human‑to‑human connections through community events, trade shows and spin‑to‑win games.
6. Regulatory and legal complexity.
As we all know telecoms is a heavily regulated industry and across the globe regulatory bodies are tightening the reigns – including Australia’s TCP Code review which detail tough new consumer‑protection rules, the Enhancing Consumer Safeguards Bill and security‑of‑critical‑infrastructure obligations –force MVNOs to implement risk‑management programmes and face hefty penalties for breaches. Santiago Gomez Pelaez makes another point of note are the insights from the “Spanish multi‑host MVNO“ which recounts the complaints lodged with Spain’s regulator (CNMC) over restrictive access to LPWAN and 5G services. As well as commentary on. the legal battle between FiNetwork and Vodafone, including allegations of unpaid debts and network‑quality disputes, highlights fraught MNO‑MVNO relationships. Compliance adds operational complexity and cost. Regulatory challenges continue to remain a is complex challange for the entire ecosystem.
7. Legacy tech and BSS limitations.
In an August 2025 post, we see old BSS systems decribed as bloated, monolithic and inflexible; they force MVNOs to hire consultants to launch promotions and cannot support modern models blending IoT, eSIM and prepaid/post‑paid hybrids. This legacy BSS is referred to as “the silent killer” and we urge MVNOs to think like SaaS startups, launching products in quickly and experimenting regularly. In addition, the phase‑out of legacy networks will disconnect feature phones, older IoT devices, rural communities and emergency systems if they are not upgraded. MVNOs must renegotiate agreements for 4G/5G access and help customers transition.
8. Platform mindset & MVNO 2.0.
Seshan Krishnamurti’s “Edge Intelligence in the digital age” argues that MVNOs must evolve from reselling airtime to becoming digital service providers (DSPs) focusing on behaviours, trends and ecosystems. The article emphasises micro‑segmentation and ecosystem partnerships as foundations for MVNO 2.0. Moreover, Karn Srivastava says the MVNOs must take a traditionally complex onboarding process and make it simple for consumers. Self‑care portals, unified product catalogues and CRM systems will enable MVNOs to personalise offers, manage subscriptions and upsell effectively.
AI algorithms will power product design, procurement and supply‑chain forecasting. However this requires deeper integration with the carrier and a consistant alignment of business plans, demos, statement‑of‑work clarifications, project plans and change‑request management. Not a simple task.
9. Opportunity in B2B and enterprise markets.
Posts highlight that 65% of telecom operators see SMEs and enterprises as the best opportunities. Edge computing and AI are portrayed as enablers for industrial IoT, smart cities and vertical‑specific services.
10. Multi‑host MVNOs.
Santiago Gómez Pelaez reports that Vodafone Spain’s wholesale access deal with Silbö Telecom will make Silbö the first MVNO in Spain able to connect simultaneously to two MNOs. This is a genuine multi‑operator integration and a potential model for other markets which could signal a future in which MVNOs connect to multiple MNOs simultaneously, improving coverage, resiliency and access to innovation. Examples from Mexico and France show this model already exists.
Summary:
The MVNO Index authors predict a future where MVNOs embrace edge computing, AI and multi‑host connectivity to deliver hyper‑personalised services. They foresee non‑telecom brands launching MVNOs, regulation becoming a branding advantage and in‑person marketing making a comeback.
The disappearance of 2G/3G, coupled with 5G and IoT expansion, sets the stage for new digital ecosystems. Highlighting the trending themes that emphasise AI‑driven innovation, the need for modern, agile back‑office systems, and the (continuing) shift from commodity connectivity to differentiated services built around communities, data, and edge‑enabled applications.
Contributors repeatedly warn that regulatory compliance, legacy tech and digital‑marketing saturation are real constraints, but they also celebrate the opportunities in niche markets, B2B segments and branded MVNOs.
While no one can predict the future – the underlying message is clear: MVNOs must embrace data, innovation and community if they want to thrive in a regulated, competitive landscape.
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