TORONTO, Jan. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)
Data On Tap has been approved as Canada’s first Full Mobile Virtual Network Operator (Full MVNO) by The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
The independent Canadian startup was an active participant in the CRTCs wireless industry review and applied for Proposed Full MVNO status with the CRTC in early 2019. Data on Tap Inc has since launched a public alpha of their dotmobile™ smartphone app and attracted nearly ten thousand founding members.
A Full MVNO operates essentially the same technology as a mobile network operator, but without owning the radio access network (ie. cell towers). Instead, the core network connects to one or more existing radio access networks, similar to a mobile network operator sharing or roaming on another operator’s network.
The core network is responsible for almost everything other than how many bars of signal your phone gets, like the basics of routing calls, text messages, voicemail, and connecting you to the internet. Modern core networks are built primarily as software and can also better prevent spam calls, seamlessly switch calls from a phone to a laptop and back again, support worldwide High Definition calling over Wi-Fi and LTE, or even integrate your AI assistant into a call.
“Full MVNOs like us are an embrace of innovation and digital transformation, just like we’ve seen in FinTech and InsurTech,” says Alex Bauman, CXO of Data On Tap Inc. “When traditional telecoms fell behind, over the top services swooped in to meet demand and expectations. We invite this disruption deeper into the stack to deliver better experiences that cost less to implement and maintain.”
Data On Tap is building dotmobile™ as an application. Everything is in the cloud, including the core network, so that it is scalable and extensible. Members can expect new feature drops just like any other app or software as a service, and code-savvy Canadians will have the opportunity to build their own features with IFTTT (If This Then That) integration.
“This approval clears us for the launch of our wireless service as a Full MVNO in 2021. We are blazing a trail for new kinds of wireless service providers, and a Canada where network infrastructure investments (towers), affordability and better service innovation can co-exist,” says Algis Akstinas, CEO of Data On Tap Inc.
This past September, Data On Tap Inc. signed its first wireless network access agreement with Iristel, a regional provider with their own network in the Far North and Northern Quebec. This was the first of several agreements required to provide affordable and awesome service to Canadians, no matter who they are or where they live.
“The CRTC is expected to rule early this year on the wireless industry review that started in early 2019. The outcome will define the Canadian national wireless infrastructure access rules and rates, similar to the rulings for home internet over the past 10 years. True innovation on top of radio-access networks is the beginning of the TelcoTech era – a new ecosystem of digitally transformed telecom technology players,” says Algis Akstinas, CEO of Data On Tap Inc.
About dotmobile
Data on Tap Inc. is building dotmobile™, a smart tiny telecom with a simple goal – to make wireless more affordable and awesome for youth, seniors, students, newcomers, visitors to the country, small businesses, and families that want to save. Data On Tap™, dotmobile™, dot.™ and the dotmobile logo are trademarks of Data On Tap Inc.
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