IMSI sponsorship can be a very valuable source of both differentiation and profit for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). Why: because most MVNOs are tied to the roaming offers and packages available from their host MNO, which means that they may be uncompetitive in some regions. Their MNO partner may not offer the best rates for some regions. If you’ve built your business by targeting specific segments, this might be a problem further down the road for you.
But, by partnering with different MNOs that have other roaming agreements, MVNOs can benefit from their pricing and introduce new offers for their own customers. How: IMSI sponsorship.
Why selection of the right IMSI sponsor(s) is so essential
Best practice suggests an IMSI sponsorship is particularly beneficial for MVNOs that want to expand their services globally as cost-efficiently as possible – and as attractively as they can for their customers.
But the selection of the right IMSI sponsor(s) is essential for ensuring that an MVNO can make this really deliver for them. Potential issues in forging such a partnership may include, but may not be limited to, disparities in quality standards between the MVNO and a potential IMSI partner, or the contractual arrangements that govern these partnerships.
To avoid any issues in service consistency and to make the business relationship as useful as possible to both sides, doing this on your own could mean a lot of work, on both the technical and commercial side.
That work should range from extensive due diligence. That needs to include rigorous and thorough assessment of your potential IMSI sponsors based on their network quality, reliability, and compatibility with your specific service standards.
You’ll also want to be automating processes to ensure that data flows smoothly between you both so that great customer service can be guaranteed.
On the contract side, you’ll need to be looking for setting clear mutual expectations through detailed SLAs, including specifying the quality of service expected, the detailed responsibilities of each party, and the remedies/penalties for non-compliance. It goes without saying that you will want to be confident there won’t be any regulatory or legal challenges with your proposed operations in new markets, e.g. on data privacy and geolocation, and understanding the unique needs and preferences of potential new customers in different regions can be complex but is essential for successful expansion. Finally, you will want to ensure that any upgrades or technical work on the back end will be done correctly and in a timely manner.
Clearly, IMSI sponsorship presents a valuable opportunity for MVNOs to obtain better offers for new geographic markets and reach new customer segments. But to maximise the benefits of IMSI sponsorship that ensures targeted and effective market penetration with minimal cost and investment on your side, if there were any ways to avoid or streamline all these steps, it would be highly desirable.
The SNS IMSI Sponsorship Difference
Getting this right—and so, optimising the whole IMSI sponsorship process—demands both proven and reliable ways to interconnect.
The good news is that SNS takes care of all of this for you – just like we have done for other providers. We take care of the technicalities and planning, all the way to delivery.
Our services can also include introductions to several existing IMSI sponsor partners—and we have telco customers that in turn have used our service to work with multiple sponsor partners enabled by connectivity provided by SNS.
So, if the idea of finding the best sponsor for your target market and securing all the other benefits of IMSI sponsorship without the hassle, talk to us today about how our services can—and will—help.
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