MVNO 2.0 and Carrier-agnostic SIM

Over the past six months, several global vendors have taken on projects that are unusual for them - they began to build and announce the launch of MVNO.

The reasons

The strategic reasons for the list of giants in the direction of communication and Internet access are quite understandable - the technologies have reached a state where you can integrate operating systems, communications, clouds and devices. Plus, the camera business has always been profitable and why not to drag the blanket over yourself. The third important factor in entering the segment is the loyalty of users, who are enticed even more into its ecosystem by a tempting offer from a vendor.

Apple
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In November 2014, the company launched the Apple SIM . Binding to the line of devices iPad XXX (Wi-Fi + Cellular). When traveling abroad, you can choose international tariff plans GigSky.

Business model:

• Affiliate Market Place
• 90 countries
• No application

Google

Project Fi was open for public access just a few weeks ago. Google's MVNO is a cloud solution in which a smartphone is not tied to a number. Works in 120 countries, incl. and in Russia.

Business model:

• The Project Fi user number is stored in the cloud service and is accessible from other devices.
• Basic package costs $ 20 per month. These are unlimited SMS and conversations in the USA plus 2 GB of traffic. For each additional GB you will have to pay another $ 10.
• The company works only with two American operators - T-Mobile and Sprint.
• Mobile traffic outside the US is very slow: only 256 Kbps.
• The operator is available to owners of Nexus 6.

Point of processing unnecessary SIM-cards

Microsoft

So far, everything is mysterious - the Cellular Data application has appeared in the Windows Store, with which it will be possible to connect to the networks of various mobile operators, having only a Microsoft account.

ComfortWay

Closed testing passes MVNO 2.0 ComfortWay , working on the partner model. The launch of the service provider, providing the ability to connect to different mobile operators via Carrier-agnostic SIM, is scheduled for May 2016, and pre-orders are open on the company's website.

Business model:

• Affiliate market place.
• 150 countries of the world.
• Provides only Internet access at local rates.
• Number is not saved when switching.
• SIM can be installed in any wearable device that "sees" the smartphone.

Zhelezyachniki

In the segment were noted Samsung, who released eSIM - embedded sim in the form of a pre-installed chip.

In 2015, Xiaomi announced the launch of a smartphone with Soft-SIM implemented on the MIUI 7 operating system. Chinese friends promised to access the Internet worldwide at a price of $ 0.02 per megabyte. Everything would be good, but GSMA categorically does not support Soft-SIM and the fate of the model is obvious.

What is there under their hood?

So far, none of the vendors do not advertise the essence of technological solutions, but some regularities are obvious:

• All operators bind users to specific device models and this is completely inconvenient.
• All implement projects using physical SIM cards.
• Everyone tries to untie the user from the number, assigning him an ID in the form of an account or linking it to the current one.
• A SIM card profile can be created at the application and OS level or downloaded from the vendor cloud (but these are only hypotheses).

Detached is the company ComfortWay . First, the company implemented the GSMA standard of “transmitting sim over the air” - Remote SIM Provisioning. Secondly, it offers a SIM card that is not tied to the OS or device.

Carrier-agnostic SIM SIM

Supposedly, all MVNO 2.0 is based on Carrier-agnostic SIM, which:

• Provide work with one of several independent mobile operators at a given time.
• Tied to ID / account.
• Managed through the application or vendor operating systems.
• Comply with GSMA standards. (for example, the association does not support software cards that do not have a formattor).
• Classic SIM or eSIM for performance.

The key functionality of the Carrier-agnostic SIM is changing the operator profile at any time from the operating system, application, or "over the air."

Why MVNO 2.0?

Everything is relatively simple - all of these networks are built at the intersection of telecom operators and global vendors, which, if they are exchanged, then for peace and partnership at the level of their technologies and devices.

UPD:

ComfortWay team showed how their SIM works



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