TM Forum Community

Hi!

I want to standarize the configuration for MVNOs and I cant find specific information or guides to do that. Are there some guidelines, standards? I know that many things depends on regulations and the contract between MVNO and MNO but some specifications in terms of provisioning, management (block imsi, imei or whitelist), billing and troubleticket management. For example: The MVNO needs to block IMEIs IMSI, it is better sharing it access to an Application or exposing Open Apis?

In summary, how the mvno works, what we know, your comments help me to start with some ideas

thanks in advance

there's probably quite a few pre-requsites and then following with your list of items:

1) are you running a thin or full MVNO models and which model supporting by your MNO ?

2) do you need to support number porting ?

3) do you need MVNO license ?

4) do you need to obtain numbering range / IMSI / ICCID from authority ?

BR, KS.

Hi Lau, thanks for your response, my perspective is from a MNO.

It is a full MVNO, after some research I have found that we can configure a MVNO as a Business Party (B2B customer) in order to enable billing and reporting processes. So it is possible to create whosale products for this specific customer. Is there reference documentation about that? is it the better way?

In our case the MVNO has its own Core Network, and for blocking imeis we are exposing an API layer.

Hi Ignacio,

There are emerging best practices and architectural standards that can help you standardize provisioning, management, billing, and trouble ticketing across MVNO deployments. Here's a consolidated overview based on the latest industry insights:

MVNO Configuration Standards & Best Practices

1. MVNO Architecture Models

MVNOs are typically categorized into three models 

• Light MVNO – MNO hosts core network, policy, and charging; MVNO runs brand, sales, CRM/billing (BSS), sometimes SIM lifecycle. 
• Full MVNO: Owns and operates its core network (except radio access).

Each model affects how provisioning, billing, and management are handled.

2. Provisioning & Service Management

• Use External System Provisioning Frameworks (ESPF) to integrate MVNO systems with MNO core infrastructure 
• Provisioning should support:
• SIM activation/deactivation
• Number portability
• Real-time usage monitoring
• Roaming controls

3. IMEI & IMSI Blocking / Whitelisting

• IMEI-based blocking targets the device (e.g., stolen phones), making it unusable across networks that honor the blacklist
• IMSI-based barring targets the SIM/subscriber, useful for account-level restrictions (e.g., fraud, non-payment).
• Best Practice: Implement both methods depending on the use case. For MVNOs, it's ideal to:
• Use Open APIs exposed by the MNO or MVNE for real-time blocking/unblocking.
• Avoid direct application access unless tightly controlled and audited

4. Billing & Revenue Management

• MVNOs should implement modular billing systems that support:
• Prepaid/postpaid models
• Real-time charging
• Revenue sharing with MNOs
• Dispute resolution mechanisms
• Standards like TM Forum's SID and eTOM are widely used for billing and operational processes 

5. Trouble Ticketing & Customer Support

• Integrate with MNO's OSS/BSS via APIs for:
• Real-time fault reporting
• SLA tracking
• Escalation workflows
• Use AI-driven CRM platforms to manage customer interactions and automate ticket resolution 

 Integration with MNOs

Modern MVNO-MNO partnerships are evolving into API-driven, cloud-native models

• Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) MVNEs enable rapid onboarding and integration.
• Hybrid MVNO models allow co-branded services with shared infrastructure.
• Private 5G & IoT MVNOs are emerging for enterprise use cases.

Recommendations for Standardization

• Expose Open APIs for provisioning, blocking, billing, and ticketing. This ensures scalability, security, and auditability.
• Adopt TM Forum frameworks (eTOM, SID, Open APIs) for process standardization.
• Use cloud-native MVNE platforms for flexibility and faster time-to-market.
• Ensure compliance with local telecom regulations and data protection laws (e.g., GDPR).

The "standards stack" you can rely on

• Identifiers & numbering: IMSI/IMEI/MSISDN structures and rules → 3GPP TS 23.003. 
• Subscriber barring / service blocking (IMSI‑level): Operator Determined Barring (ODB) → 3GPP TS 23.015 (what can be barred; how HLR/HSS/UDM store & propagate it). 
• Device blacklisting (IMEI‑level): 3GPP TS 22.016 (IMEI/EIR concept) + GSMA IMEI DB/CEIR operational model. 
• Charging & billing architecture: 3GPP TS 32.240 (charging principles; 5G CHF/Nchf) and domain specs like TS 32.256. 
• Wholesale roaming settlement: Legacy TAP vs GSMA BCE (new, more flexible). Plan for both. 
• BSS / integration APIs (recommended for MVNO↔MNO): TM Forum Open APIs-Product Catalog TMF620, Product Order TMF622, Service Order TMF641, Service Inventory TMF638, Trouble Ticket TMF621. 
• Network exposure / programmable telco (optional but powerful): GSMA Open Gateway (APIs defined in Linux Foundation CAMARA). 
• Process & architecture: TM Forum eTOM/Business Process Framework and ODA for a common operations language and componentized target architecture. 
• eSIM: GSMA SGP.22 (consumer) now; keep an eye on SGP.32 (IoT) emerging. 
• Roaming / operator database (IR.21 content and roles for MVNOs) for onboarding into global roaming/IPX ecosystems. 
• Policy & guidance (market/regulation view): ITU's 2024 technical report on MVNOs in 5G contexts.