In practical terms, that means being able to offer services that depend on different forms of connectivity and enhanced coverage across multiple countries. By definition, to secure the level of coverage they envisage means building the right connections to different MNO partners.
For sure, that can be done solo. However, a much quicker way to get to market is to draw on the established networks and connections of partners who’ve done this before.
An MVNO facing just this choice was a global MVNO based in Switzerland. This organisation offers data roaming services for B2B customers and for IoT applications, which was providing it with great business. But over time, it had invested significantly in developing its own service portfolio and saw as the natural next step extending its reach and entering new geographies.
This brand--Telecom26—eventually decided the optimal way to do this was to work with SNS. The full case study explains more and in-depth, but what was the rationale behind that decision, and how did linking-up with Swiss Networking Solutions ultimately pay off for them?
Guaranteed interconnect
As stated, this MVNO had invested in its own stack already. However, to achieve its global ambitions, it still needed to build dedicated connections for backhauling signalling and traffic from its partner operator networks back to that infrastructure.
The organisation had also invested in its own mobile core network, which it runs across geographically distributed platforms. That meant any new links to prospective other partners also needed to be distributed to provide the resilience that Telecom26 requires.
Finally, Telecom26 had also built points of presence (PoPs) in different countries; these also needed to be connected, both back to the core and, where necessary, to the specific MNO partner offering connectivity services.
That was a non-trivial set of requirements. Very few suppliers could guarantee this level of connection. SNS was the only one that convinced Telecom26’s leadership it could deliver.
Exotic regions and unfamiliar tech
This MVNO’s business plan demanded going well outside its traditional comfort zone. At its core, for all its great track record in building out a great mobile service that meant working with partners that provide sub-sea cables, and selecting the right landing points to provide the dedicated connectivity paths that would be required.
It didn’t just mean new partners; cashing out the new business plan also meant venturing into completely new technologies. While base connectivity used standard Layer 1 and MPLS interfaces, for example, the equipment used by each partner operator and transport connectivity provider was going to vary.
Here, SNS being able to easily deal with solutions from different network equipment vendors and so deliver seamless routing back to Telecom26’s data centres was a key factor in both winning the business but more importantly making all this happen for the customer.
Another challenge SNS was also able to meet: having the knowledge to spot where breakout to the internet should be managed best, and where private data traffic should be sent back to the Telecom26 core network. Again, only SNS was able to deliver this from day one.
Custom connection for valued partners
Telecom26 wanted to expand its range of IMSI sponsor partners, but the connectivity in each case had to be optimised for the different situations in each network. Complicating the picture, some prospective partners were venturing into roaming agreements for the first time, meaning they didn’t have existing processes and procedures for onboarding a new partner like Telecom26.
The good news here is that SNS knew what to do: leveraging an existing PoP in some geographies (as that made the most sense) via new dedicated client routers and equipment, and in some areas a completely new point of presence to reach the local partner.
In many instances, then, SNS took full responsibility for delivering whatever regional connectivity was demanded, but in ways that made seamless operational control easy at the global level.
A strong future
Delighted by all these achievements, this fast-growing MVNO continues to work with us.
In practice, that means Telecom26 continues to concentrate on growing its now fully international business while SNS handles upgrades and all the heavy lifting to do with capacity expansion.
As an MVNO, Telecom26 is also happy to allow its new connectivity and IMSI sponsorship partner to manage IP and signalling traffic.
Why? Because it knows doing so with SNS’s help means it will reach the correct destination, with the necessary resilience, across its new global MNO partner network.
And it’s not the only one. Whether you’re an MNO that already offers IMSI sponsorship services, or an MNO to which SNS has existing connectivity, SNS can provide the same solutions to any other MVNO or service provider that wishes to connect to a specific mobile operator.
An offer, by the way, that runs the gamut from inception to live traffic delivery. So, if you are an organisation facing similar growth challenges as Telecom26 but wants a similar end-to-end complete package, why not schedule a call to see how we can help you achieve just as much… or even more?
