Why now is the best time to offer an MNO Prepaid sub-brand

As market saturation continues and regulatory environments adapt to become more permissive to MVNOs, these MVNOs will increasingly get more creative to grow their market share. One suggestion for mobile network operators to reduce customer churn and further grow the mobile subscriber base is by introducing a new sub-brand and offering features and plans that differentiate this new sub-brand from the main brand and other brands in the market. This may cannibalize some subscribers from the main brand but this tactic is necessary to further grow the #subs / market share since as Steve Jobs once famously quoted, "If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will." There are several factors that play in the MNOs favor in pursuing such an MVNO sub-brand.

Consumer Preferences?

Some subscribers may be receptive to receiving a plan that may not necessarily follow the rules of a traditional monthly plan. Mix it up … offer innovative plans that are different from your mainstream plans.? Why not offer 60/90/120 activation plans that are less expensive per day than a monthly plan, or even a 365-day activation plan together with various Voice, Text, Data and other Add-ons as required (e.g. Visual Voicemail, Voicemail-to-Text, Voicemail-to-Email, etc.)???Subscribers are generally savvy with their phone, tablet and any other devices. They may not need to travel to a company-owned store. With carefully written instructions on your branded web page, you can guide subscribers on how they can port their number to your network, and how they have an option to either purchase a phone/device or bring their own device (BYOD). Once this has been decided and the number has been ported in (or not - for a new user), the online portal allows subscribers to easily select among a variety of plans, topup by credit card/Paypal, and select any other “Add-on” packages.?One of the best things about Converged Prepaid technology is that subscribers also get usage / topup alerts in real-time as they use their phone. There is no delay in providing these alerts as all Call, IP SMS, Data transactions are being rated and controlled in real-time.

Technology factors???????

LTE and 5G Data Speeds have increased dramatically in recent years. VoLTE-HD technology has also allowed the ability for network operators to offer high-quality voice and faster call setup times. As MNOs continue to repurpose their 2G/3G spectrum for VoLTE and 5G, MNOs need to continue to grow their subscriber base and leverage these benefits for their subscribers, thereby enabling MNOs to continue to monetize their VoLTE/IMS and 5G core and access network investments.

Roaming factors?????

There are close to 300 operators worldwide who have commercially launched a VoLTE network while some already have a 5G SA Core/RAN. With such a large operator base, it has become easier over the past few years to setup VoLTE roaming agreements with any of these operators.?Whether roaming agreements use the Home-based Routing approach (S8HR) or a Local breakout approach, the Control plane (SIP) messages OR S8 DIAMETER messages for Data Sessions BOTH transit back to the home network where VoLTE calls, IP SMS, and Data sessions (incl. policy enforcement) can be rated and controlled as part of any Voice, SMS, or Data Roaming package including innovative daily, 2-day, 3-day, weekly, monthly, 60/90/120 or 365 day roaming plans with any combination of Voice/SMS/Data bucket packages. In particular, with S8HR, the same VoLTE roaming agreements that are? in place for VoLTE Postpaid roaming may also be leverage for your Converged Prepaid roamers now.?Besides, new greenfield and 4G-only operators are starting up everywhere and they are all looking for bilateral agreements with roaming partners that can serve their subscribers while roaming. Don’t lose out on these opportunities with these potential new roaming partners.Note: There are no longer any CAMEL triggers or CAMEL Roaming agreements required which was problematic for Prepaid Roaming in the past.

Cost Advantages?

There are also several advantages of the latest Converged Prepaid VoLTE technology to the network operator and subscribers alike. When Calls/SMS/Data are rated and controlled in real-time using the Primal Online Charging System (OCS)/5G CHF, there is no requirement for billing cycles, CDR generation and offline processing, and the subsequent handling of any CDR errors. There is also no need to perform credit checks or handle and follow-up on delinquent accounts as subscribers pay in advance for the package and Add-ons that they require."Together with lower overall costs associated with a Converged Prepaid approach and these latest network technologies, Primal has assisted mobile network operators to SIGNIFICANTLY reduce their annual opex costs when compared to similar costs with a traditional BSS for the same number of subscribers” added Greg Carlson, Director of Business Development at Primal Technologies.

Over the years, Primal Technologies has enabled several dozen mobile network operators to launch with only an OCS (no BSS) and operate quite profitably and with a smaller workforce.

Primal Converged OCS/CHF

The Primal Converged OCS/CHF includes the following features, which can be offered by any Mobile Network Operator to efficiently and economically bring a new MNO sub-brand to market.

• Variety of plans (e.g., Daily, 48-hours, on first-use per day, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, 60/90/120 days, 365 days)
• Over 50 dynamic buckets for Money, Voice, Text, or Data that can be selectively bundled as part of any Rate plan or included as an “Add on” or as part of a Promotion.
• WWW Subscriber Self-Care - A branded Self-Care web portal for Mobile Network Operators that allows subscribers to topup via PCI-compliant credit card, Paypal, voucher card (e.g., bought at POS w/ Apple Pay, Samsung Pay) etc., change monthly plans, purchase "Add ons", and review their usage, topups. They can also setup, convenient automated monthly credit card payments. WWW Self-Care screens render automatically as rate plans and CTS "add ons" are introduced,, changed, ore deleted.
• WWW Customer Care – Should Customer Care be contacted, this allows a CSR to quickly respond to any requests/questions (e.g. change rate plan, add "add on", questions about usage/charges, etc.)
• IVR – This capability provides?similar Self-management and topups as?WWW Subscriber Self-Care
• REST API - Integrate your existing WWW Subscriber portal or existing smartphone app with the Primal OCS (and Voicemail) to provide a seamless subscriber online experience
• 5G CHF Rating and Charging Use Cases
• Account balance notifications by SMS and/or Email
• Gy Interface - for real-time charging using 1..N bucket data subscriptions based on a mobile network operator's preferred marketing strategies
• Ro interface - for Real-time VoLTE session charging (audio, multimedia calls)
• Sy interface - to apply throttling when certain?data usage thresholds are met?
• Promotions - rewards subscribers with additional data valid for a specific period of time when they topup certain one-time or cumulative amounts
• Can be bundled together with Primal SMSC/IP-SM-GW/SMSF, MMS, Primal Visual Voicemail to lower total opex costs

As always, Primal hopes to assist operators in adding value to your platform by improving your subscribers’ experiences. Please discuss with your Primal account manager how we can assist with offering a Converged Prepaid sub-brand into your portfolio of wireless offerings.

About Primal Technologies Inc.

With over 65+ deployments across many time zones worldwide, Primal’s mission is to provide the best enriched features and functionality to wireless consumers and thus offer value to them and their wireless provider. The company’s competitive edge has always been to install one or more Primal Converged Prepaid/OCS/5G CHF or VAS components efficiently with minimal engineering disruption. The Primal team also has the?skillset to dynamically integrate a Converged Prepaid/OCS/5G CHF or VAS solution into any unique network environment.?

To learn more about our product offerings drop us an email at?[email protected]?or visit us at?www.primaltech.com.