An MVNO is a wireless service provider that typically partners with a platform infrastructure and an MNO such as AT&T and then resells a branded mobile service to its customers. Typically, MVNOs offer competitive mobile services with healthy margins of 30% to 50%.
MVNOs empower educational institutions like K-12 schools and universities to offer competitive branded mobile services. A combination of affordable mobile service offerings, exclusively curated for educational institutions, to engage students and alumni can be one of the most compelling MVNO success stories.
Safety tracking, emergency response, fundraising events, protocols, contact information, and financial and job assistance are some of the many mobile offerings that open new doors for communicating with students and alumni.
Let’s dig deep into how an MVNO partnership fosters quality student and alumni engagement, helping your institution gain a competitive edge.
Institutions get an edge
Unique mobile offerings for students and alumni help educational institutions stand out in a crowded global education industry.
MVNOs help institutions generate better cash flow. Institutions can offer premium mobile plans and offerings at dirt cheap prices, charging a minor subscription fee from student bodies and alumni associations. The funds from the subscription fee, student enrollment, and alumni donations will snowball into excess cash flow that helps finance the needs of students, alumni, and faculty.
The University of Kansas has already put its foot on the pedal to accelerate the application of wireless networks at its physical campus location for students, employees, contractors, and other stakeholders. With the advancement in mobile telecommunications services, the university is bringing innovation to teaching and vocational training, the Internet of Things (IoT) to remote locations, campus space optimization, and more.
Empower alumni associations
An MVNO partnership helps institutions gain a powerful relation builder that supports the efforts of the alumni association and raises money for different causes.
Drive quality engagement in a jiffy
Timely communication is the key to strengthening connections between alumni and the alma mater. Regularly checking on the website for the latest alumni news is not practical for alumni who already have personal and professional commitments. A mobile offering encourages prompt interactions – in the form of notifications and a chatbox that keeps alumni updated about the latest news and events, like reunions, virtual meetups, college community updates, career opportunities, etc.
Increase alumni contributions
Prompt communication leads to successful fund drives. Quick and quality responses to inquiries, messages, and donation pledges show alumni the fundraising campaign is well-organized and serious about the cause. This responsiveness builds trust and credibility with potential donors, reassuring them their contributions will be valued and put to good use.
Gain feedback from your alumni network
Publish polls and surveys to inquire about issues that matter to alumni. Examine and engage posts by community members. Conduct one-on-one calls or a virtual meet-up with a group to understand issues in-depth.
For instance, the Ohio State University launched its own alumni association mobile app to conduit deeper connections, information, and nostalgia by sharing university stories and regional events. It allows alumni to feel connected to their alma mater, conversely helping institutions learn about alumni experience and expectations even if they are halfway around the world.
Deliver rich student experience
Effective student engagement cannot happen from behind a desk. Institutions must virtually go where students spend most of their time — smartphones.
Host go-to-resource app
Communication tools and critical resources on native apps help locally and assists students and school information, such as course schedules, events, emergency response protocols, contact information, financial assistance, and other student services.
Provide safe space
Maintain a healthy classroom community by moving peer interaction from unchecked mainstream social media to safe, regulated native mobile apps. The unique mobile offering reduces communication barriers, encouraging students to take the first step in getting to know their peers better. Students enjoy a sense of belonging and participation without feeling pressured.
Simplify enrollment process
Build a powerful one-stop app to carry out the student enrollment process. Whether taking a virtual campus tour, direct calls or face timing with faculty members and current students, or making payments — do it all with a thumb. You can further personalize the process using a chatbot or call services to drive one-on-one conversations.
For instance, the Korea University College of Medicine moved its course materials and communications to a native app. Through mobile, KUCM students now look to a single app to access course materials, engage with classmates, schedule counseling appointments, and more. By providing quick, relevant, easily accessible information, KUCM successfully enhanced the overall student experience.
Create a new breed of MVNO with AireSpring
Mobile offerings which are just good on paper won’t fly. The truth is, mobile offerings must be better than what is available outside the market. Otherwise, there will be no takers for the native offerings and end up costing the educational institutions big time. This is where the AireSpring Wireless turnkey MVNO solution opens a new door.
The AireSpring Wireless team has the expertise and infrastructure to launch exciting new brands into MVNO. We truly understand the marketplace. With AireSpring, educational institutions can launch an MVNO in 30 to 45 days using our cloud-based Light MVNO platform and brandable portal or separately access via APIs and then combine with a partnership with the best MNO in the US market.
We offer many plans and custom options, including unlimited talk and text, with many different data bundles. Our front-end tools provide a full range of brandable modules and CRM capabilities for customer care, payment gateway, taxation, eSIM platform, and an ILD VoIP to enhance international applications.