Editing Mobile virtual network operator (section)

==Regulation==
In 2003, the [[European Commission]] issued a recommendation to national telecom regulators to examine the competitiveness of the market for wholesale access and call origination on public mobile telephone networks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32003H0311|title=Commission Recommendation of 11 February 2003 on relevant product and service markets within the electronic communications sector susceptible to ex ante regulation in accordance with Directive 2002/21/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on a common regulatory framework for electronic communication networks and services (notified under document number C(2003) 497)|date=11 February 2003|publisher=Erkki Liikanen, Commission of the European Communities|access-date=23 July 2016}}</ref>  The study resulted in new regulations from regulators in several countries, including [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] and [[France]] forcing operators to open up their networks to MVNOs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/comreg-opens-mobile-networks-to-competition-1.996441|title=ComReg opens mobile networks to competition|date=9 December 2004|publisher=The Irish Times|access-date=23 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arcep.fr/index.php?id=7103&L=1#c5634|title=La lecture par l'Autorité de régulation des télécommunications de l'article L.1425-1|date=7 December 2005|publisher= l’ARCEP|access-date=23 July 2016}}</ref>

[[Jordan]]'s top watchdog issued its first MVNO regulations in 2008, facilitating the creation of the first MVNO in the [[Arab world]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/overview/right-call-mobile-remains-sector-highlight-while-3g-access-boosts-demand-0|title=The right call: Mobile remains a sector highlight, while 3G access boosts demand|publisher=Oxford Business Group|date=January 2012|access-date=10 February 2016}}</ref>

The Saudi government is making preparations to permit MVNO services in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/news/mvnos-signal-change-saudi-telecoms |title=MVNOs signal change for Saudi telecoms &#124; Saudi Arabia 2015 |publisher=Oxford Business Group |date=2015-03-30 |access-date=2017-07-04}}</ref>

In [[Brazil]], MVNOs are regulated by [[Anatel]], the [[Brazilian Agency of Telecommunications]], in November 2010. As of September 2014 the combined market share of all Brazilian MVNOs was just 0.04%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://techinbrazil.com/mvno-market-in-brazil|title=MVNO Market in Brazil|author=Marcelo Teixeira|date=23 September 2014|work=Tech in Brazil|access-date=17 July 2015}}</ref>

In [[Thailand]], five MVNOs were given a Type II license to operate on the 2100&nbsp;MHz 3G network of state telecom service [[TOT Public Company Limited]] (TOT) in 2009. As of January 2017, two of the original five MVNOs are still in service.<ref>{{cite web|author=Yozzo |url=http://www.yozzo.com/news/mvna-mvne-mvno/another-tot-mvno-hangs-up/ |title=Another TOT MVNO hangs up |date=28 January 2017 |publisher=Yozzo.com |access-date=2017-09-14}}</ref> As of December 2018, the [[National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission]] (NBTC) had issued 58 MVNO licenses in Thailand, a total of nine have launched, four remain active.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.yozzo.com/news/thai-telecom/mvno-license-number-58-in-thailand/|title=MVNO license number 58 in Thailand|website=www.yozzo.com|date=24 September 2018 |language=en|access-date=2018-09-24}}</ref>

In [[India]], the Telecom Department under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, accepted a recommendation from the national telecom regulator, [[Telecom Regulatory Authority of India]], to permit VNOs in the country, and announced the grant of a unified license for Virtual Network Operators on 31 May 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.gov.in/sites/default/files/UL%20(VNO)%20Guidelines.pdf|title=Guidelines for Grant of Unified License (Virtual Network Operators)|date=31 May 2016|publisher=The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, India|access-date=23 July 2016}}</ref> VNOs have formed an association to represent current regulatory issues impacting their MVNO business viability.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vnoai.org|title=Virtual Network Operators Association of INDIA|date=31 August 2017}}</ref>

In Nigeria, the licensing of telecommunications operators is overseen by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ncc.gov.ng/licensing-regulation/licensing/licensees-list|title=Guidelines for Grant of Unified License (Virtual Network Operators)|date=18 April 2024|publisher=Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigeria}}</ref> As part of its regulatory framework, the NCC reclassified telecommunications licences into class and individual licences. This regulatory structure ensures that all telecom service providers, including MVNOs, comply with national guidelines and operate within the appropriate legal framework for their respective services.