CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- As the global MVNO subscriber base grows to 214 million subscribers in 2016, MVNOs will carve out additional niches to address and go beyond the traditional ethnic and discount models, according to a new report from Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com).

MVNO Strategies Beyond the Traditional Ethnic and Discount Models analyzes successful MVNOs in developed markets and will attempt to draw lessons for emerging markets. Pyramid Research looks at what type of MVNOs were successful in developed markets such as the U.K., the birthplace of such giants as Virgin Mobile, Lebara Mobile, Tesco Mobile and LycaMobile, and where MVNOs account for 17 percent of total SIMs. Pyramid looks at different breeds of MVNO, starting with so-called ethnic MVNOs, and takes a look at the market potential of such services. Finally, Pyramid analyzes fixed operators’ strategies to become fully fledged multiplay operators through MVNO strategies and describe the emerging and exciting trend of data-only MVNOs.

Download an excerpt or purchase the report here. “When looking at the MVNOs from the value perspective, telecom-based MVNOs targeting the mass market face a prospect of limited financial returns,” says Sylwia Boguszewska, Senior Analyst at Pyramid Research. Their chance of success increases when they find customer niches, such as business customers or M2M. “Thanks to the proliferation of 3G+ networks and the boom in data-based applications and services, those MVNOs venturing beyond the traditional provision of discount voice and SMS are finding great success, which in turn leads to further specialization,” she adds.

MVNO Strategies Beyond the Traditional Ethnic and Discount Models is part of Pyramid Research's Telecom Insider Report Series and is priced at $595. Download an excerpt or purchase the report here. For more information, contact Jarka Justova (for those in Africa/Middle East, Asia/Pacific or Europe) or Lorena Marani (for those in Latin America or North America).

Pyramid Research