The United States has only a few licensed mobile carriers, but many MVNOs.
They own and operate extensive infrastructure in the regions where they offer service.
The names of these telecommunication giants are familiar.
We Are / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Some MVNOs partner with more than one of the major carriers to provide service.
All major carriers support4Gand5Gcalling, data plans, and a choice of several service plans.
MVNOs do not own the base station, spectrum, or infrastructure needed to transmit.
Instead, they lease from a licensed operator in their area.
Typically, MVNOs offer inexpensive monthly plans with no contracts and prepaid plans.
Because MVNOs have low overhead costs, they usually spend aggressively on marketing to attract individuals to their service.
In some cases, their customers receive lower priority than the customers of the bigger networks.
Therefore, MVNOs may have lower data speeds.
Typically MVNOs offer lower pricing and more diverse plans than the large carriers.
Some MVNOs also provide attractive international calling options.
They may be the only options available in rural areas of the country.
Despite the downside of lower speed or possible throttling, MVNOs provide bargain service.
They typically price out at half the cost of the large mobile providers.
