mobiloperatøren

Mobiloperatören, or mobile network operator (MNO), is a telecommunications company that owns and operates the wireless network infrastructure used to provide mobile services such as voice, messaging and data. The operator holds spectrum licenses issued by a national regulator and typically owns or leases base stations, backhaul links, and the core network. Services are delivered to SIM-enabled devices via radio access networks and a packet-switched core, such as the 4G EPC or 5G core.

In business terms, mobiloperatören earns revenue from subscriptions (prepaid and postpaid), data packages, device financing and roaming. They may also wholesale network access to MVNOs, resellers, and enterprise customers. The market often includes MVNOs that do not own infrastructure. Technologies used include 2G/3G/4G/5G, eSIM, and increasingly virtualization, edge computing and network slicing for business services.

Regulation covers licensing, spectrum management and auctions, interconnection, roaming, consumer protection, and universal service obligations. Operators manage customer relations, billing, security, and network maintenance while ensuring emergency services access and quality of service.

Operators vary from national full-service providers to regional firms and are frequently part of larger telecom groups. They face significant ongoing capital costs for spectrum, infrastructure, and modernization, while competing on coverage, speed, price, and service quality.