Owning the connection: Why your brand should become an MVNO

Building value through your own branded UK mobile network service

In today’s connected economy, customer attention is scarce — but mobile is always within reach. That’s why forward-thinking brands are turning to Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) models as a smart way to deepen loyalty, unlock new revenue streams, and take greater control of the customer relationship.

Launching your own branded UK mobile service used to be a dauntingly complex, cost-prohibitive venture. But with the rise of eSIM technology, improved MVNE infrastructure, and new niche opportunities, it’s never been easier — or more strategically impactful — to own the connection.

In this business guide to brand-led digital mobile opportunities, we cover:

1. Understanding the MVNO business model and its historic barriers to entry
2. Loyalty and revenue: why brands are getting in
3. Who should be paying attention? Key segments
4. Why eSIM changes the game
5. Is an MVNO right for your brand? How to decide…

The MVNO model allows a brand to offer a complete UK mobile service that’s based on the infrastructure of one of the big 3 mobile network providers: EE, O2 or VodafoneThree. Rather than building towers, you leverage existing network capacity and all the service capabilities of a standard UK mobile offering — meaning low capex, fast go-to-market, and full control over branding, pricing, and experience.

The pure MVNO model can come in different strengths, depending on your strategic goals. At the Full MVNO end of the spectrum, most of the mobile core (e.g., billing, CRM) is directly owned, offering full control but higher operational responsibility. The Light/Thin MVNO model leverages more from the host network, with less overhead, but without visibility and key business insights that ultimately allow commercial opportunities to be maximised.

Historic barriers to entry

Up until now, all MVNO approaches have necessitated significant investment in technical, operational, commercial and regulatory readiness. Consider prominent UK examples such as Tesco Mobile, which are the result of many tens of millions of pounds of set-up and running costs, with large dedicated staffing overheads.

Historically, these high barriers to entry typically lead brands to abandon their MVNO aspirations entirely, or seek compromise via a ‘dealer’ or ‘reseller’ mobile model. Dealer models were, until recently, an appropriate last resort for brands keen to launch a mobile offering with very few of the associated MVNO-related overheads. However, disadvantages to this approach include limited brand control, no ownership of the customer base, restricted revenue and margin, and practically zero market differentiation from a technical or commercial standpoint.

eSIM Go removes barriers to entry; provides full MVNO capabilities

eSIM Go’s plug-and-play mobile virtual network enablement (MVNE) platform allows any organisation to provide UK mobile services on the Vodafone network with rapid activation, no-set up barriers and low cost of operation; allowing their customers to simply select connectivity as a package or bolt-on from their sites or apps. Speak to an expert to learn more about eSIM Go’s fully automated, end-to-end customer lifecycle processes, supported by powerful loyalty and/or revenue use cases for eSIM-based, full MVNO digital mobile services.

The most compelling reason to launch an MVNO? It makes your brand part of your customer’s daily life and establishes a direct, always-on channel to communicate, engage, and deliver value. By owning the mobile relationship, brands can deliver tailored messages, exclusive offers, service updates, and personalised experiences straight to the device customers rely on most. Because people depend so heavily on their phones and mobile connections, being the trusted provider of that connection significantly reinforces the value they perceive in your brand — building deeper trust, loyalty, and lifetime value.

• Loyalty: Offer mobile plans bundled with exclusive benefits (e.g., streaming, discounts, perks), turning customers into members. A successful tactic is offering free or heavily subsidised mobile services as part of broader subscription packages, optimising the overall value customers perceive in their ongoing relationship with your brand.
• Revenue: Monetise new services — from data plans to device sales — and tap into recurring, high-margin income. Offering enhanced features and add-ons such as family plans, flexible shared data packages, and hassle-free Travel eSIM roaming options can further increase ARPU and customer stickiness, providing additional upsell and cross-sell opportunities.
• Data & Insight: Gain rich behavioural data across mobile usage, enabling smarter segmentation, highly personalised marketing, and more predictive customer lifecycle strategies. The process of obtaining, analysing, and applying these insights can be fully automated, creating scalable intelligence that continuously refines offers, messaging, and customer experiences without heavy manual intervention. Harnessing this data-driven approach transforms your brand into a learning organisation, capable of anticipating customer needs and responding in real time.

Think of it as turning your brand into a platform — not just a product.

Certain markets are particularly well-placed to benefit from launching an MVNO:

Charities & non-profits

MVNOs provide a direct way to engage donors and members. By offering mobile services under your charity's brand, you create a meaningful opportunity for supporters to switch a service they already pay for to one that actively supports your cause.

Rather than staying with a mobile operator they feel no connection to, donors can choose to benefit your charity while receiving what is effectively the same mobile service they had before. Imagine eSIMs that fundraise with every top-up, offer mission-driven tariffs, and create long-term recurring revenue streams — all while reinforcing their connection to your cause. The mobile connection becomes a powerful, everyday channel for both impact and income.

Altnets & fibre providers

Already owning part of the connectivity stack, altnets can bundle mobile into broadband offers, creating true quad-play services.

Historically, many fibre-based ISPs found offering mobile services under a dealer model to be too complex, low-margin, or insufficiently rewarding to justify the effort. Becoming a branded MVNO changes the equation: it gives altnets full control over pricing, bundling, and customer experience, enabling them to embed mobile seamlessly into their broadband, TV, and voice offerings. This strengthens retention, increases ARPU, unlocks new upsell opportunities, and helps them compete far more effectively against national ISPs with fully integrated services.

Fibre-based ISPs already excel at managing customer acquisition, billing, and service fulfilment processes. Adding mobile services can become a natural extension of the digital customer journey: customers can simply select a mobile add-on during checkout, and receive activation to instantly provision their new eSIM. This seamless integration minimises friction, requires no in-store visits, and aligns with modern digital expectations — turning a one-time broadband sale into a long-term, multi-service relationship.

Second-life / refurb handset providers

These brands are already selling mobile hardware — why not activate it with your own SIM or eSIM? Bundled offers increase conversion and open the door to high-margin subscription revenue even after the point of sale.

A refurbished phone bundled with an instantly activated mobile plan becomes a significantly more compelling proposition, especially in cost-conscious and sustainability-driven market segments.

eSIM technology eliminates the need for physical SIM cards, allowing users to activate a mobile plan digitally — instantly. This shift unlocks a whole new level of simplicity, scalability, and customer satisfaction.

For brands, the advantages are significant:

• Frictionless onboarding: Customers can activate their mobile plan simply by scanning a QR code or following an app-based journey, turning what used to be a complex activation process into a seamless digital experience.
• Lower operational costs: With no need for physical SIM production, warehousing, or shipping, brands drastically reduce logistical overhead and environmental impact.
• Global scalability: eSIMs eliminate geographical limitations. Brands can offer services to customers across multiple markets without the burden of local inventory or fulfilment.
• Flexible upsell opportunities: Offering temporary roaming bundles, short-term travel eSIMs, or data bolt-ons can be done digitally and instantly, creating new revenue streams with zero operational friction.
• Alignment with ESG goals: Physical SIM cards contribute to plastic waste, while fulfilment processes add to carbon footprint. There are no such impacts with the digital equivalent; supporting brands’ environmental goals.

For customers, this means:

• No waiting for SIM cards to arrive by mail
• No need to visit a store
• Instant access to mobile connectivity as part of a fully digital buying experience

For brands, it dramatically reduces risk and complexity. Launching a mobile offering no longer requires heavy infrastructure or logistics investment. Instead, it becomes a lightweight, easily integrated add-on to an existing digital ecosystem — whether you're an ISP, a charity, a device retailer, or a lifestyle brand.

Example: A second-life or refurbished handset provider could offer customers the option to activate a mobile plan at the point of purchase. Once a customer buys a refurbished phone online, they receive an email with simple instructions and a QR code to instantly activate their mobile service via eSIM. This approach transforms a one-time hardware sale into a long-term service relationship. It adds convenience for the customer, drives recurring revenue for the brand, and aligns perfectly with the expectations of a digitally savvy, budget-conscious, and sustainability-minded audience — all without any physical fulfilment or complex logistics.

In short, eSIM technology turns mobile services from a heavy operational lift into a plug-and-play extension of your brand's core proposition — bringing ease, speed, and new opportunities for loyalty and growth.

Any brand can now launch an MVNO if they see strategic value in doing so — and with the barriers to entry lower than ever, the opportunity is more accessible than it once was. If you're considering it, start by asking:

• Do we have an engaged audience that trusts us?
• Do we already offer some form of subscription-based service?
• Are we looking to add recurring revenue or improve retention?
• Could mobile strengthen our value proposition or distribution model?

Your next steps:

1. Define your strategic goal: Loyalty? Revenue? Data?
2. Identify your audience: Who will you serve, and what’s their need?
3. Choose your model: Dealer/reseller, light MVNO, or full MVNO?
4. Find the right MVNE partner: One who can provide maximum visibility and control for your proposition, with minimum setup costs and commitment.
5. Build your business case: Map costs, forecast revenue, and model customer lifetime value.

MVNOs aren’t just for telecoms companies anymore. They’re for brands with vision, willing to meet customers where they are — on mobile — with a proposition that sticks.

Whether you’re a charity looking to scale your mission, a fibre provider seeking to grow share of wallet, or a brand wanting to diversify revenue, owning the connection may be your most powerful move yet.