Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2023 August 19

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August 19

NVMOs and NMOs

At RSN#MVNO sources I asked a question about sourcing for our mobile phone aricles, and I was someone here might be able to address a technical issue related to that question.

Searching the web, I ran into all sorts of conflicting claims about which Searching the web, I ran into all sorts of conflicting claims about which NMO various NVMOs use. One source says "Boost Mobile uses AT&T network" Another says "Boost Mobile uses the T-Mobile network". Our article at Boost Mobile (United States) says "Boost Mobile is an American wireless service provider owned by Dish Wireless. It uses the Dish, AT&T and T-Mobile networks to deliver wireless services" without any citation I can check to verify that claim.

So, does there exist a reliable source for what network you will be using if you buy a plan from Boost, Consumer Cellular, Mint Mobile, Cricket, etc.? I am seeing a lot of claims in Youtube videos, blog posts, etc. But they never seem to explain how they know which network is being used. --Guy Macon (talk) 22:32, 19 August 2023 (UTC)

@Guy Macon: Can src Boost: tl;dr: Boost runs atop AT&T's decrepit network

As part of the Sprint / T-Mo merger deal, Dish would acquire the Boost brand, and piggyback on T-Mo until it could build out it's own network – Dish will never build out a functional, nationwide network (she's dead, Jim…), as its decades of purported wireless offerings are to mislead regulators so it can squat on valuable spectrum. T-Mo and Dish have both been knives-to-throat since the merger closed. Boost falls back on AT&T when Dish's nonexistent network is unavailable – which means AT&T all day, err day.

That's the gist of it. -- dsprc ^[talk] 07:28, 20 August 2023 (UTC)

bestmvno is not an RS – they're spammy and generate revenue primarily from affiliate sales of services they write about.

"…does there exist a reliable source for what network you will be using…" I know of no unified, reliable source… other than the MVNO themselves, or fragmented tech media coverage. Publications focusing only on telecom might be more helpful. (Maybe there is an FCC document or page? Government websites are impossible to navigate…)

"But they never seem to explain how they know which network is being used." Typically MVNO will explain in their fine print or support documents – T-Mobile sometimes requires such disclosure. Compatibility for handsets locked to a particular network are usually dead giveaways as well – MVNO usually advertise this prominently in support documents as it is one of their selling points. In the U.S., MVNO coverage maps will often be color-coded if MVNO utilize multiple networks – Red for Vz, blue for Ma Bell AT&T, pink-ish for T-Mobile, yellow for Sprint. -- dsprc ^[talk] 08:41, 20 August 2023 (UTC)

References