The global MVNO and MVNE market is expanding rapidly. According to GSMA Intelligence, the global MVNO count has surpassed 2,100 operators, representing more than a 60% increase over the past decade, with Latin America alone seeing nearly fivefold growth in the same period. New MVNOs are launching across verticals, from retail and banking to utilities and media, while established players are under increasing pressure to evolve beyond their original value proposition.
Yet for many operators, the technology layer underneath remains a persistent bottleneck. Legacy business support systems (BSS) were built for a simpler era: manage a subscriber, charge monthly, handle a churn call. They were not designed for the pace of change that modern MVNOs require, including rapid product launches, dynamic bundling, real-time personalisation, and multi-partner ecosystems.
The case for agile BSS
An agile BSS platform transforms how an MVNO operates across every dimension. Automation reduces operational costs and eliminates manual bottlenecks in areas from onboarding and provisioning to monetization and customer care. When routine tasks are handled by intelligent workflows, teams can focus on higher-impact work. The customer experience improves: self-service becomes richer, interactions become more contextual, and resolution times fall sharply.
Equally important is the ability to open new revenue streams beyond basic connectivity. A modern BSS enables MVNOs to launch digital content bundles, device protection, financial services, loyalty programmes, and IoT-enabled products, all managed within a single commercial and monetization framework. GSMA Intelligence forecasts IoT connections to reach more than 38 billion by 2030, creating a vast addressable market for MVNOs positioned to serve connected device ecosystems across logistics, healthcare, and industrial automation.
Moving beyond price-based differentiation
The most dangerous trap for an MVNO is competing purely on price. It is a strategy with no floor, as there is always a competitor willing to go lower. GSMA Intelligence notes that only 42% of countries worldwide currently host at least one MVNO, meaning there is still significant geographic expansion potential, but operators entering these markets will need differentiated propositions, not just cheaper tariffs, to build sustainable businesses.
Standing out today means individually tailored plan construction, anticipating customer needs before they arise, and a broader set of services that keep subscribers loyal because leaving would mean losing something genuinely useful. None of this is possible without a BSS that can flex to the commercial and monetization model, not the other way around.
Differentiated MVNOs
MVNOs use different strategies to stand apart. Some leverage the strong brand of their parent companies that operate in other industries. There are MVNOs owned by financial services companies, high street retailers, sporting clubs and many more – all using the presence, operating models and brand equity of their parent companies to build credibility with target audiences. A good example here is Finnish MVNO Giga Mobiili, which is owned by electronic retail giant Gigantti and uses their retail stores to provide sales and support. In the US, PBS Cellular is an MVNO aimed at supporting students by offering cash back on monthly cellular bills, tuition costs and essential student expenses. Others include enterprise-focused MVNOs delivering managed connectivity with SLA guarantees, integrated device management, and sector-specific compliance features. These MVNOs are diverse, and as such their BSS must be able to accommodate and enable different strategies, empowering MVNOs to quickly provide a wide range of offers, innovative pricing and services that go beyond price alone.
The MVNO landscape is being reshaped by technology, and the operators that invest in the right infrastructure now will be the ones defining the market in five years. Whether it is launching faster, serving customers better, or building revenue beyond the data plan, the BSS layer is where competitive advantage is won or lost.
Qvantel at MVNO Nation Americas 2025
Qvantel will be showcasing Qvantel Flex Suite for MVNx, our purpose-built agile BSS platform for MVNOs and MVNEs, at MVNO Nation Americas in Miami, on 27–28 April 2025. To arrange a meeting, click here.
Sylvia Cheung
Sales Director, Qvantel
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