The new Simple Plan music video, the song "When I'm Gone".

A mobile virtual network operator or MVNO (in English, Mobile Virtual Network Operator or MVNO) is a mobile phone company does not have a grant of the frequency spectrum, and therefore lacks its own network of radio. For service, you must use network coverage from another company (or companies) with its own network (a mobile operator network, or OMR) with (s) must sign an agreement.

The MVNO business are as given in many European countries, highlighting the UK and Scandinavia in quantity and age of existing MVNO-Canada, the United States of America, and Australia (not exhaustive). In principle, can operate in any of the existing mobile phone technologies including GSM, UMTS or CDMA2000, since their existence is linked to a commercial rather than technological factors.

The roles and an MVNO relationship with the mobile operator owns the network (OMR) vary according to the commercial market and the legal regulation of the country where they operate. In general, an MVNO is an entity independent of the operator with network service that gives you, allowing you to set their own rates.


By definition, an MVNO has no infrastructure radio, having no legal authority to provide this service. Thus, no OMV have own base stations, providing customer service for the OMR.

However, in the case of other infrastructure things may be different.

Generally, MVNOs do not own any GSM or UMTS infrastructure beyond the development of SIM cards, which in many cases even carry the network code of a specific OMR or its resellers. If an MVNO depends entirely on your OMR, is usually called MVNO reseller (or English service provider), since all it does is put his mark on the SIM card and make trade work, lacking absolutely network elements . They are the most abundant type of OMV.

Other MVNOs can have their own technical departments, according to the virtual operator in particular, can have its own record of location (on GSM technology, called HLR) or a switching center of mobile telephony (MSC). This allows the virtual operator enjoy greater flexibility, since it empowers you to change network provider in the future or even use several different networks within a country. Similarly, according to the degree of independence of the virtual operator could have billing departments. A MVNOs that have their own network elements are called generically full MVNO (in English, full MVNOs).

One can distinguish the following types of virtual operators:


* Only marketing and sales: This type of OMV provides a basic service based on the sale of SIM cards of their own. Typically fertilizers are prepaid.


* Service Provider: the OMV offers customer care and billing, but has no portfolio or telecommunications infrastructure.


* OMV Almost-complete: the OMV is responsible for billing, customer care, distribution terminals and SIM card issuance.


* Full MVNO: the OMV operates its own switching center and / or HLR, allowing you to receive interconnection revenues from incoming calls and switch carriers radio network end. A clear example is that of fixed telephony operators wishing to offer integrated fixed / mobile.

Source: Wikipedia

Tryphone is a website that lets you try some phone models interactively. You select the model and test all phone settings, as if tuvieses hand. You can not call or send sms course, but comes in handy to make the decision on which phone model to choose. The only downside is that currently there are not many available, but since the website is in beta it will expand.

A very original short and sarcastic about the origin of the canon.