When you move into a new home, it's not uncommon to find that your current cell phone provider doesn't have a good signal at your new location. You search online for a new provider and manage to find one with cheaper prices than your current service. You order a SIM card, add it in the correct slot, and find that your signal is about the same as your old network provider! What gives?
ContentsWhat is piggyback?Mobile Network OperatorsMobile Virtual Network OperatorsWhich companies are MNOs and which are MVNOs?Learn to networkIf this has happened to you, you might be surprised to learn that you were using the exact same network as before. Chances are the provider you have chosen is using the same infrastructure that you just left. This is the case with "piggyback" mobile networks, where you may have less choice in coverage than you might first think.
Suppose a new company, Delta, wants to start a mobile network company. However, they prefer not to start from scratch, building their own antennas and taking on the already established big three. Alpha has infrastructure with lots of space that is unused and not making them money, and Delta is looking for space without having to build infrastructure. The two reunite, and Alpha decides to let Delta buy its excess storage at a wholesale price. Delta is now "piggybacking" onto Alpha's network.
A company that buys storage from an MNO is called a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). These companies have a lot more financial freedom than an MNO – while large companies have a lot of expenses for network infrastructure maintenance and expansion costs, MVNO companies only have to worry about to buy the capacity of an MNO. This results in MVNO providers having cheaper packages compared to their bigger brothers, while having more funds to spend on marketing and getting their name out to the public.
This knowledge is very useful when choosing a network provider. If your signal is weak, it's worth researching which mobile operator has the strongest signal in your area. Then you can switch to them or an MVNO that uses the same host network. If you are currently using an MNO's data plan, you can save money by upgrading to an MVNO on the same host network without sacrificing signal strength.
So how do you find these companies? Of course, it depends on the country you are from! Wikipedia has decent listings for MVNO companies in the US and the UK. When you're itching to switch providers, do a little research to see if they're using their own network or someone else's. If you like your old provider's coverage, try to find someone who uses the same MNO network. If your old provider's signal strength is weak, avoid the MNO network they use at all costs!
You can find your network coverage through Sensoriel, while the UK can do the same through Ofcom. There's also Open Signal which monitors signal strength and maps everyone's results.
If you are considering switching mobile operators due to poor reception, be careful who you choose! You may just be returning to the same network you are trying to leave. In this article, you learned what a piggyback operator is, why piggybacking is done, and how to check piggyback operators.
If you work with a major mobile network operator, do you consider switching to a virtual operator for a lower price? Let us know below.
