While Telstra remains atop the carriers for their coverage through fringe and remote areas, the pricing may not be to the taste of many in metro areas. They have a number of resellers, such as Boost, who operate as a Mobile Network Virtual Operator or MNVO. The advantage — as a user — in buying in this space is the fact that an MNVO doesn’t have the same overheads, resulting in lower prices; but also reduced features.
Following successful trials, Telstra is set to remove one of those barriers for their MNVO’s by allowing access to connect their customers via eSIM technology. This speeds up the activation process and allows an extremely simple transfer of your number between devices, without the fiddly need to move your SIM. Further to the simplicity of moving, the use of an eSIM means you can use two mobile numbers on compatible devices.
The vast majority of handsets released since mid-2019 are compatible, with the expectation that this percentage will only increase. In a release yesterday, Telstra note that eSIM technology will also improve the speed and simplicity of implementing IoT devices.
Glenn Osborne, Telstra Wholesale Segment and Sales Executive said:
eSIM can make activation of a mobile service very simple and much more immediate. Using a QR code to start the activation process, means that process can literally start wherever you can place a 2D image and a connection to the internet. It could be on a bus, while reading a magazine, or wherever is most convenient for the customer.
This is a huge, and a very smart step that surely needs to be followed by the other carriers, offering convenience and faster setup. The end result is a better customer experience, bringing more customers to the Telstra reseller network.
Why are you calling it MNVO?? Proofreading is officially dead.
Thanks I fixed the typo. We try our best but often with only a short period of time to write and publish there’s no time for another person in the team to be asked to proofread.
I bought a Samsung galaxy watch Active 2 (LTE version) last year but hasn’t been able to use my Boost number with it so I’m assuming after adding e-sim support I will be able to use LTE functionality, right?
Any idea when this will happen?
Remember that esim on watch works differently, they need to share their phone number, so its hard to expect it to work on watch right away, think they will lock it just for postpaid plans.
VOLTE and WiFi next?
Hope so… more important I think for connectivity. Boost has VoLTE, so why not others?
Volte will have to come soon, as Telstra is switching off their 3g network in 2024.
I noticed that some regions near Dubbo NSW has already made 4G only areas. So its high time they do it.