Virtual mobile networking using always best connected business relationships

Abstract

With the advent of smartphones and tablets, mobile networks are no longer luxuries in the communications industry. Mobile networking is paramount to meeting the need of corporate users and the desires of consumers. These users consume mobile data to reach content and services deployed on the Internet by way of cloud computing. Mobile networks have undergone a number of iterations, with the current state - 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) - providing a starting point for high speed, low latency mobile networking that meets the demands of bandwidth hungry applications and services. Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) have existed as a means to help Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) achieve meaningful market share in industry segments that have been harder, or more expensive, for the MNO to reach. In this way, MVNOs have remained niche providers to a highly segmented industry. In addition, a traditional 1:1 model of MVNO to MNO has left the MNO in dominant position to determine the extent to which the MVNO may be successful. This thesis explores the trends that are forcing business model disruption in the MVNO industry and proposes a technical solution, built around the systems engineering System of Systems (SoS) principles that may be leveraged to help transform the mobile industry into a more competitive environment in which MVNO and MNO compete on level playing fields for subscribers.