Who we represent:

Created in 2012, MVNO Europe represents the interests of Mobile Virtual Network Operators active on European mobile and Internet of Things markets, and that have negotiated wholesale access to the networks of host Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).

MVNO Europe gathers various type of business models addressing retail consumers, business users, the public sector, machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT). The goal of MVNO Europe is to create a more openly accessible market for all MVNOs so that they can better contribute to the growth of the fast-moving mobile communications sector, further ensure that consumers as well as business users have a wider range of diversified services to choose from and to, finally, boost competition on the retail mobile market to their benefit. Our members believe that MVNOs can stimulate innovation in the telecom sector.

What is an MVNO:

The acronym MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator. These telecommunications service providers are called “virtual” as they do not own radio spectrum which, being a scarce resource, can be granted only to a limited number of operators, the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs in professional jargon). MVNOs therefore use MNOs’ radio spectrum-based transmission services together with related wireless network infrastructure (e.g. masts and antennas) to provide services to their customers. MVNOs can take different forms – ranging from a simple branded reseller to a Full MVNO – depending on the operational components they manage (e.g. telecom networks and interconnection resources).