GlossaryBusiness models
What is an MVNA?
MVNA Mobile Virtual Network Aggregator
An MVNA (Mobile Virtual Network Aggregator) buys wholesale mobile capacity from host operators in volume and resells it to MVNOs. It sits in the commercial path between the MVNO and the network, and takes a margin on the connectivity it passes through.
Through an aggregator
One contract, faster in. The aggregator holds the wholesale deal and takes a margin on connectivity.
Direct
The carrier relationship and the margin stay with the MVNO. The deal asks for volume commitments.
An MVNE sits beside both routes rather than inside them: it provides the platform, not the connectivity.
What an aggregator does
A host operator will not always sign a wholesale deal with a brand that has no subscribers yet. An aggregator has already signed one, at volume, and resells slices of it.
That gets a small MVNO to market on one contract, instead of a negotiation it is not yet big enough to win.
MVNA and MVNE are different jobs
Some companies do both, which is where the label “MVNE/A” comes from. Knowing which one you are buying matters, because they price differently.
An MVNA sells connectivity
It holds the wholesale deal and resells capacity, at a margin that grows with every subscriber.
An MVNE sells technology
The platform the service runs on, at a fee that does not move with your subscriber count.
One company can be both
Then the platform fee and the connectivity margin arrive on the same invoice. Ask for them separately.
The trade-off to price in
Neither route is the wrong one. Many operators start in one and move to the other as volume grows, so the question that matters most is the third one here.
What you gain
One contract, a lower entry point and a route to market before you have the volume to negotiate.
What you trade
A margin on every subscriber, and a carrier relationship held by somebody else.
What to check first
Whether your platform can add or switch a carrier while the service is live.
Where Mindszi stands
Mindszi is an MVNE, not an aggregator. We charge a flat platform fee and never a cut of subscriber revenue, so the carrier relationship and the margin stay yours.
MVNA questions, answered
- What is an MVNA?
- An MVNA (Mobile Virtual Network Aggregator) buys wholesale mobile capacity from host operators in volume and resells it to MVNOs, taking a margin on the connectivity it passes through.
- What is the difference between an MVNA and an MVNE?
- An MVNA sells connectivity: it holds the wholesale deal and resells network capacity. An MVNE sells technology: the platform, billing, provisioning and integrations an MVNO runs on. Some companies do both.
- Is Mindszi an MVNA?
- No. Mindszi is an MVNE and charges a flat platform fee. You bring or sign your own carrier deal, stay the operator of record and keep your own margin on connectivity.
- Can you move from an aggregator to a direct carrier deal?
- Yes, and many operators do as volume grows. The question to ask first is whether your platform can add or switch a carrier while the service is live, without a migration project.
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