MVNOs

Competition across the economy is crucial. It ensures that consumers receive the best and most cost-effective services available, while industry is provided the freedom and opportunity to grow and develop. Although this is something that can analyzed from a number of different angles, this paper will focus on competitiveness in the Canadian telecommunications sector as key building block of the nation’s overall economic strength. Using mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) as a central consideration, this paper will showcase the value proposition of MVNOs as a first and important step in a future Canadian business landscape that is increasingly competitive, attractive, and robust.

Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) are resellers of network capacity. They lease or buy in bulk the excess network capacity of large or mainstream providers, and resell services to customers. Because the portion of the spectrum that they lease is usually unused by the large carriers, MVNOs can often offer services to customers at more cost-effective rates. As increased connectivity and autonomy are expected to be the foundation of the Canadian economy in the next number of years, MVNOs have the potential of enabling new services to empower IoT connectivity, Smart Cities, and even services like autonomous vehicles.