UK MVNO Lycamobile has started offering services as a full MVNO in 18 states across the United States. Lyca would not confirm which US network it would be operating on, citing confidentiality reasons, but reports have suggested T-Mobile USA is its…
UK MVNO Lycamobile has started offering services as a full MVNO in 18 states across the United States.
Lyca would not confirm which US network it would be operating on, citing confidentiality reasons, but reports have suggested T-Mobile USA is its partner.
In a statement Lyca, which specialises in offering international calls, said it was the first full MVNO to start up in the US.
A virtual operator is considered a “full” MVNO if the mobile network operator just provides access to the network infrastructure and, sometimes, parts of the core network, while the MVNO provides the rest of the elements of the value chain.
Lyca will operate in 18 states – including New York, Florida, Texas and California – and offer nationwide GSM coverage. Last summer Lyca CEO Milind Kangle told TelecomFinance that technical testing was underway for its US launch.
The US becomes the sixteenth country Lycamobile operates in, and Canada could be number 17. The MVNO has been in talks with Canadian operators to launch its services there and Kangle has said there is space for Lyca in the market because of Canada’s significant expatriate and immigrant community.
“As the first full MVNO to launch in the United States, this is a milestone operation both for Lycamobile and for American customers,” said chairman Subaskaran Allirajah.
