The MVNO Directory 2011
Blycroft Publishing
Published May 2011
- 182 Pages
- 645 MVNOs (515 companies)
- 1,200 named contacts
- 205 new companies in 1 year
645 operations are profiled for this 5th edition of the directory and are presented as 515 company profiles. This is the resource for making contact with this rapidly evolving market.
In 2006 the 1st edition of The MVNO Directory tracked a market of just over 200 MVNOs. Many said the “MVNO fad” would not last and that the market was already in decline. Now in 2011 the total stands at 645 operations operated by 515 companies. Within just 5 years the industry has more than tripled with new operations constantly coming to market.
MVNOs, mobile virtual network operators, are mobile service offerings from organisations which typically neither own licensed mobile spectrum nor operate a physical base station network and backhaul. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule but the essential factor is that an MVNO cooperates with an MNO for network access. MNOs are traditional mobile companies such as Orange, SingTel and Vodafone. For this research, both MVNOs and resellers (which act as the provider to the subscriber) are included.
Operations owned by MNOs are not counted; these are brands launched by MNOs and are therefore part of the MNO, not a distinct and separate company. MNOs are profiled within The MNO Directory. Found separately within The MVNO Directory, is a list of over 550 companies named by other publishers as being active MVNOs, incorrectly. For each of these companies the researchers have provided a short reason as to why the company has not been included as an MVNO.