Why is "cheap SIM" cheap?: MVNO's deep good story

Continuing from the previous time, I will introduce MVNO to you.The theme this time is "Why is MVNO cheap?"I would like to focus on a spot and explain the MVNO's business model, also known as "cheap SIM" and "cheap smartphone".

In addition, MVNO may be "cheap" for many people, but depending on how you use your smartphone, it is not always cheap.In particular, "people who use a lot of voice calls", but here I would like to focus on the marketing strategy instead of analyzing individual customers.

It is good to collect enough information in advance, such as asking the MVNO consultation desk (telephone, Twitter, etc.) to determine whether cheap SIM will reduce the price of the communication cost for the use of your smartphone.Yes.

「MVNOの深イイ話」バックナンバー

Why is MVNO cheap?There are many answers in the question.And the most important thing in it is that MVNO itself has adopted a marketing strategy to lower the price.

Before the MVNO entered in earnest, the Japanese mobile phone market was competitive by existing mobile phone companies centered on NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, and SoftBank.I think these three companies offer very high quality services that should be noted in the world (when you go abroad, you can feel how high Japanese mobile phone services are).

日本の携帯キャリアは、新しい通信技術の導入や通信の高速化にいち早く取り組んでいる

What I would like to point out here is that the competition between mobile phone companies in Japan has been in the direction of improving quality, not the price.Speed 3G and 4G communications, high -quality calls by VOLTE, very high area cover rate.In exchange for these very high quality, the situation was very rigid in terms of price.I think that the "gap" of MVNOs, which gradually broke from around 2012, should be used as a later player in the market.

As a small thinking experiment, it is not impossible for MVNO to improve quality and go on high -quality and high quality routes beyond careers.However, while the three major mobile phone companies have high -priced and high -quality strategies, in order to create a space where MVNOs, which are much smaller and later MVNOs, survive themselves, launched a competition based on prices.I think the strategy was natural.

Naturally, in order to implement a low -priced strategy, it is necessary to reduce the cost sufficiently.The most important thing is to reduce operating costs and advertising costs.Many MVNOs have a "mail -order type" style where you can attract customers on the web or sign contracts on the web.This was very effective in lowering the operating cost.I think that there is something close to new entry such as mail -order insurance and online securities.

On the other hand, the mobile phone shop, which is a sales base of the three major mobile phone companies, is not only a business base, but also a base that helps users who do not know how to use smartphones, and in case of procedures such as changing the price plan or when a terminal failure.The function as a consultation desk is also fulfilled.

Recently, some MVNOs have begun to launch business activities at real stores in partnerships with consumer electronics retailers, supermarkets, and used portable stores.It can be said that MVNO is currently being questioned about how to increase the satisfaction of the user while reducing costs.

ビックカメラでIIJmioのSIMカードを販売している「BIC SIM」（写真＝左）や、楽天モバイルのように専門店を設けているMVNOもある（写真＝右）

Next is the terminal.MVNOs rely on manufacturers and consumer electronics retailers to sell terminal distribution sales, and to reduce the costs of development, distribution, and inventory, such as adopting SIM lock -free terminals sold by terminal manufacturers as they are.There are many places where we are taking strategies.In the era of Garakae, the development of mobile phone terminals was sophisticated with the development of mobile phone companies, but in the age of smartphones, the option of using a commodity device is supporting the MVNO strategy of low price.It can be said.

Another topic that can't be avoided is the problem of communication quality.Depending on the MVNO, the communication quality is reduced during congestion, and the user may complain, especially during daytime, nighttime, etc. ( *).

アイティメディア社内（会議室）で、9月29日12時30分〜12時58分に測定した通信速度。多くのMVNOでは下りの速度が出ていない

This is due to the fact that the cost of communication quality is not enough.Generally, if the cost of communication quality is not sufficient, there is no room for equipment and the communication quality will be reduced when crowded.

For example, such as lunch break, communication quality is often reduced when the user uses a lot of smartphones, and it will affect the number of people who do communication outside during the return or holiday season.Communication quality may be reduced immediately after the OS update distribution.

Of course, even MVNOs are always required to be the best in communication quality.On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, the business model currently adopted by many MVNOs is not competing with existing mobile phone companies in terms of quality.For users, it's a very confusing and sometimes anxious problem.As a person in the MVNO, of course, we will do our best in the limited cost structure, and finally entrust the users to judge.

※これは我々が提供する「IIJmio」でも発生している問題です。

So far, I have explained why MVNO is cheap from the perspective of people in MVNO.Some of you may think that cheap ones have the back.There is an MVNO strategy that is changing in the mobile phone market and thinking about which position it will bet on the growth.

Just as MVNO, which was a web mail order style, gradually stepping on the stage of a real store, pursuing the best balance of user support and communication quality through trial and error, MVNO MVNO.I think it will be required in the future.

Taishi Sasaki

Internet Initiative (IIJ) Network Headquarters Technical Planning Office Manager

Joined IIJ in 2000, and since then, he has been engaged in the operation, development and planning of network services since then.He participated in the launch of the IIJ MVNO business, especially in 2007, and since then, he has been mainly in charge of corporate and personal MVNO services.He is also a person in IIJmio's official Twitter account @iijmio.

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