Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why Start an MVNO in the US?
- Key Steps to Launch an MVNO in the US
- Identify Your Target Segment and Define Value
- Pick Your MVNO Model: Light, Full, or Reseller
- Pick the Right MNO to Host You
- Understand Legal Requirements and Get Compliant
- Build Your Backend Systems Right
- Set Up Support and Distribution
- Build the Brand and Set Your Pricing
- Partner Smart: Use MVNEs Like Spenza to Win
- Compare MVNO vs Traditional Carriers
- How Spenza Helps Scale Your MVNO in the US
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Launch Your MVNO in the U.S.
Thinking about how to launch your MVNO in the US? You’re not alone. The market was valued at approximately $30 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $52.9 billion by 2032, reflecting a steady CAGR of 7.5%.
This growth is being driven by a surge in 5G adoption, a rising number of connected devices, and the nonstop demand for data-heavy services like streaming and mobile apps.
Businesses that want in on the telecom space see this as the moment to start an MVNO. If you’re looking to launch MVNO US right now, you’re entering a high-demand space.
If you’re an IoT firm, a hardware manufacturer, or a tech startup looking to embed wireless capabilities into your offering, launching an MVNO in the US opens up ways to control your connectivity, pricing, and customer experience. It’s not easy, but it’s doable, if you follow the right steps.
In this blog, we’ll break down exactly how to launch MVNO in the US, from selecting the right network partner to navigating regulations and building a scalable business model.
What Would You Get by the End of the Article?
By the end of this guide, you’ll understand how to launch and scale your MVNO in the US with clarity and confidence. You’ll walk away with:
- MVNO models and setup options
- Key legal and FCC steps
- Tools to speed up launch
- Pricing and marketing strategies
- Role of MVNEs like Spenza
- Answers to common MVNO launch questions
Perfect for startups, OEMs, and businesses entering the telecom space.
Why Start an MVNO in the US?
Launching an MVNO in the US is not just about entering a saturated telecom market. It’s about solving a specific connectivity problem for a group of people or devices. Think niche markets like budget-conscious users, IoT deployments, rural regions, or B2B-only bundles. The USA MVNO launch opportunity fits best where traditional carriers can’t or won’t adapt.
In the MVNO model, you don’t build your own cellular towers. You use existing network infrastructure from carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. Your job is to repackage that network access with your branding, your pricing, your customer support, and maybe even your SIM or eSIM provisioning.
The real edge? Full control over the user experience, billing, and plan flexibility. That’s why many companies choose to launch MVNO US today. With the right MVNO business plan, you lower your CapEx, speed up your market entry, and scale as you grow.
Use our MVNO Launch Calculator to estimate your startup costs.
Key Steps to Launch an MVNO in the US
Before jumping in, you need to plan. A MVNO business plan should include your market research, technical stack, vendor partners, revenue model, and regulatory steps. Let’s break down the key steps to launch MVNO US in a structured way.
1. Identify Your Target Segment and Define Value
Every MVNO must begin with a clear problem-solution fit, grounded in defined network and service requirements.
Are you targeting price-sensitive retail users, gig economy professionals needing flexible data plans, low-power smart meters requiring narrowband IoT, senior users with simplified service flows, or globally roaming devices with eSIM capability?
Your MVNO business plan must adopt a segment-first architecture, mapping use cases to technical demands such as coverage zones, latency tolerance, average data throughput, and device interoperability.
Once the target segment is locked in, develop a value proposition aligned with your network behavior model. Are you optimizing for ultra-low ARPU at scale, region-specific QoS, data security, or multi-network redundancy for IoT? Each decision directly impacts your MVNO’s core design APN configurations, SIM/eSIM provisioning workflows, billing logic (volume-based, pooled, or flat-rate), and CRM integrations.
Learn about successful branded reseller MVNO strategies.
2. Pick Your MVNO Model: Light, Full, or Reseller
Choosing your MVNO structure is one of the most important decisions. It determines how much control, technical responsibility, and investment you need to put in. You have a few MVNO types:
| MVNO Type | Infrastructure Control | Investment Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Branded Reseller | No systems or network core; resale only | Very low |
| Light MVNO | Owns billing and CRM; depends on host for core | Medium |
| Thick MVNO | Has its own core systems; connects to multiple MNOs | High |
| Full MVNO | Full control including SIM, IMSI, network routing | Highest |
Light MVNO is common for startups. Full MVNO makes sense when you want full independence, like IoT OEMs needing tight SIM control.
Understand the differences between IoT MVNOs and traditional models.
3. Pick the Right MNO to Host You
Your host network partner is your foundation. Think about coverage, tech compatibility (eSIM support, VoLTE), and commercial terms. Some MVNOs choose dual-carrier setups to offer better roaming or redundancy.
Ask these during MNO selection:
- What level of access will you get to their network (voice, SMS, data, IoT APNs)?
- Can you use custom APNs or integrate your own PCRF?
- Do they support embedded SIMs (eSIM MVNO options)?
This step directly affects how your MVNO business plan shapes up. Don’t rush it.
4. Understand Legal Requirements and Get Compliant
You must comply with US laws and FCC requirements. You’ll need:
- FCC Form 499 registration
- An Operating Company Number (OCN)
- Tax filings for USF contributions
- 911 and CALEA compliance
If you’re offering eSIM MVNO services, be ready to prove your provisioning methods are secure and compliant. Privacy rules also apply, customer data handling must follow federal and state laws.
5. Build Your Backend Systems Right
You’ll need a full stack for operations:
BSS (Business Support System):
The BSS manages all customer-facing business processes, including billing, plan management, top-ups, and account lifecycle handling. It ensures accurate charging, flexible plan configuration, and a smooth commercial experience for both prepaid and postpaid users.
OSS (Operations Support System):
The OSS handles the technical delivery of services such as SIM provisioning, service activation, and network integration. It ensures that the MVNO can interface with the host network reliably while monitoring service quality and resolving technical issues.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management):
CRM tools manage all customer interactions—from onboarding to support and retention. It stores user data, tracks support tickets, enables targeted communication, and helps personalize service delivery to improve satisfaction and reduce churn.
SIM/eSIM Platforms:
These platforms manage the provisioning and activation of SIM and eSIM profiles. They support onboarding through QR codes or remote activation, manage identity data (IMSI/ICCID), and allow for dynamic switching between networks, especially important for global and IoT deployments.
Fraud Management and Analytics Tools:
These systems detect and prevent fraudulent activity such as SIM cloning, unusual usage patterns, or billing anomalies. They also provide real-time analytics on user behavior, network usage, and performance to help optimize service delivery and pricing strategies.
Choosing an MVNE partner helps if you don’t want to build from scratch. Many USA MVNO launch projects go faster this way.
6. Set Up Support and Distribution
Now think of logistics. Where will customers buy your service? Online only? Through retail kiosks? Bundled with hardware?
Your support team also matters. Are you doing in-house customer support? Outsourced call centers? AI chatbots for first-level queries? Tech support for IoT SIM management?
Your MVNO business plan must cover support SLAs, failover systems, and dispute resolution.
7. Build the Brand and Set Your Pricing
Branding isn’t just logos. It’s how people talk about your network. Do you offer pay-as-you-go or bundles? Unlimited? Do you reward loyalty or referrals?
Pricing strategy should reflect:
- Network cost from host
- Churn management
- Data usage trends
- IoT SIM usage patterns (if applicable)
Even an eSIM MVNO must budget for device testing and QR code onboarding. If you’re bundling devices and data plans, speed matters. Learn how to launch your MVNO in just days using Shopify and Spenza to sell directly through your online store.
Partner Smart: Use MVNEs Like Spenza to Win
Don’t build everything yourself. Partner with MVNEs who already have tools for SIM provisioning, billing, and device management. It’s faster, cheaper, and less risky.
One MVNE that simplifies the entire MVNO deployment is Spenza. We offer Connectivity-as-a-Service designed specifically for IoT MVNOs.
If you’re a logistics company, OEM, or hardware manufacturer needing always-on connectivity, Spenza handles:
- Global Multi-Carrier Access: Connect to over 600 networks in 190 countries.
- eSIM and SIM Tools: Enable zero-touch onboarding for your devices.
- Custom Billing: Set flexible, usage-based plans your customers want.
- Real-Time Analytics: Get alerts and usage data across all connections.
- Lifecycle Management: From activation to shutdown, we manage it all.
We make the USA MVNO launch process simpler for companies who need to move fast without the telecom headaches.
Partner with MVNEs who already have tools for SIM provisioning, billing, and device management. Here’s how MVNEs accelerate the MVNO launch by reducing setup complexity, lowering costs, and improving time to market.
Compare MVNO vs Traditional Carriers
| Factor | MVNO | Traditional Carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Network Ownership | Rented from MNO | Owns infrastructure |
| Startup Cost | Low to medium | Very high |
| Brand Control | Full control | Shared branding |
| IoT & eSIM Options | Custom and flexible | Limited customization |
MVNOs win on cost, control, and flexibility. Traditional carriers win only if you want massive CapEx and full control of spectrum.
How Spenza Helps Scale Your MVNO in the US
Spenza is not just a platform. We are a full Connectivity-as-a-Service stack. We help MVNOs and IoT brands go live fast, scale globally, and stay secure.
Whether you are embedding SIMs into smart cameras or deploying sensors across borders, Spenza supports:
- Fast provisioning tools (eSIM ready)
- Carrier-grade analytics
- Subscription-based billing
- Regional or global SIM profiles
- SIM lifecycle automation
From your first test device to millions of endpoints, we help you manage it all.
Case Studies Angel Watch: Scaling Smart Wearables with Spenza
Angel Watch, a maker of children’s safety smartwatches, needed flexible, affordable mobile plans with wide geographic coverage. Partnering with Spenza allowed them to:
- Create tailored mobile plans for low-bandwidth IoT usage
- Sell bundled devices and plans directly via Shopify
- Expand into global markets without complex negotiations
Read how IoT MVNOs are powering automation in Industry 4.0.
Final Thoughts
To launch MVNO US successfully, you need more than a good idea. You need a smart plan, the right tech stack, legal compliance, and fast-moving partners. The MVNO model rewards those who focus, simplify, and specialize. Launching an MVNO today requires more than vision, it needs execution, tools, and speed.
Here’s a complete guide to setting up an MVNO in 2025, covering the latest technical and regulatory insights.
FAQs
Need to start fast and scale without heavy infrastructure? Talk to Spenza. We’ll help you go live without guesswork.
