Most Unusual Virtual Carriers

Because of its smaller size, MVNOs more quickly adapt to the real requirements of their customers than their large telecommunications infrastructure partners. Virtual operators fill in gaps in all segments of the market, sometimes providing unique services.

It is not easy to stand out in a highly competitive telecom market (in Europe alone, there are more than 500 operators ), therefore MVNOs are located all over the world, who are trying to win customers with unusual promotions. Today we will tell about the most original offers of operators.

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Sub-brands

Red Bull Mobile logo

One of the most unusual technology partnerships - Red Bull has teamed up with Vodafone to launch its own virtual mobile operator. Yes, this is the Red Bull that makes the energy drink of the same name.

Red Bull MOBILE is fully integrated into the parent company's marketing strategy, which includes the following services: Red Bull branded phones, competitive rates, unlimited access to Red Bull TV and World Red Bull video content, as well as exclusive offers and discounts to all Red Bull events.

Other famous brands have experience of such cooperation. For example, the Virgin Group is an international conglomerate of companies founded by billionaire Richard Branson. Most of all, the Virgin Group is known for its record and air travel activities. At the same time, Virgin Mobile became the first virtual mobile cellular operator in the world, which began its work in 1999. It uses cellular networks of already existing operators around the world: in the UK - T-Mobile, in the USA - CDMA-network of Sprint, in Australia it operates on the networks of Optus, in Canada - Bell Mobility, in France - Orange, in South Africa - Cell C.

In the US, Virgin Mobile made the unusual decision to become an MVNO targeted only at iPhone users. Virgin has only one tariff plan for this: you get unlimited calls, text messages and mobile Internet for $ 50 a month. However, Virgin “optimizes” streaming media broadcasting for more efficient use of the channel: video resolution is limited to 480p, and any games at 2 Mbps.

Free communication

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Karma uses to attract customers "physical social networks." Users can offer Karma mobile hot spot to their friends in exchange for 100 MB of free traffic in 4G LTE from the operator . 100 MB for the first user and another 100 MB for each friend - up to eight clients at each contact point. The more friends you attract, the more points you put, the more free internet you have. If you have few friends (or have alternative Wi-Fi sources), you can still use Karma's hot spot on a paid plan.

The virtual operator from Singapore Zero Mobile also offers to attract friends. Customers can receive a permanent loan of $ 9 per month for each person they persuade to join. With five active friends, the Zero Mobile subscriber receives a completely free connection.


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Using the services of Karma or Zero Mobile, you still need to make a payment at least once to purchase an access point. However, there is an operator in the world who actually offers an absolutely free service - this is FreedomPop .

FreedomPop provides 500 MB of data, 200 minutes of conversation and 500 text messages (via Wi-Fi) each month for free. The Overdrive Pro access point simultaneously supports up to eight devices and has an LCD display that displays information about the amount of traffic in real time. The battery lasts for four hours without a network.

The company provides Internet access at speeds up to 6 Mbps (4G). Tariff plans beyond the free limit depend on whether you use one of the FreedomPop phones or connect your own GSM device.

Seamless network

Google Project Fi logo

Many manufacturers of Wi-Fi-points promise seamless switching between points, but few can ensure a smooth transition between Wi-Fi and GSM. The virtual operator Google Project Fi combines Wi-Fi network connectivity and the infrastructure of large telecom operators without dropping your connection when switching from one network to another, even during a call. But this is not the only thing that makes it unique.

In Google Fi, each tariff plan starts at $ 20 and includes an unlimited number of minutes and text messages. For an additional fee, you will get access to 4G and / or Wi-Fi networks in more than 135 countries around the world. Project Fi also offers group rate plans that allow you to add other users to your subscription for an additional $ 15 per month.

But Project Fi has a significant drawback: you can connect to the operator only with certain phone models - Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Moto X4, Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and Nexus 6.

Niche product

With the help of MVNO, any company and community can create niche products for a narrow audience segment. For example, the Brazilian Evangelical Church Igreja Sara Nossa Terra created for 1.3 million parishioners of the virtual mobile operator Mais Parceiros de Deus. You can connect directly to the temple.

In Brazil, this is the second operator created by an official religious organization. In 2015, the World Assembly of the Assemblies of God launched the operator Mais AD . President Mais AD said that due to religious commitment, the operator’s customer base has a higher average revenue per user and a lower outflow than the market average.


Rapid Mobil Application Interface

Satisfying the needs of a narrow market segment is a strategy of many MVNOs. And the audience can be any. Mobile operator Ventocom in Austria made a joint project with the Rapid football club. As a result, a virtual operator was created, focused on serving 900 thousand fans. Ventocom has offered new customers discounts on subscriptions, tickets to matches of their favorite team, as well as roaming packages for away matches.

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High competition requires new approaches from business. Eighty percent of ambitious startups in the MVNO market in Europe fail due to a number of factors: lack of understanding of the economics of telecommunications, insufficient number of subscribers, unstable partnerships, lack of planning and management. However, twenty percent of companies do exploit the full potential of this highly adaptable telecommunications model. The most successful business models for MVNO combine a well-thought-out management approach, a strategic partnership plan with other operators and an accurate hit to a selected audience.