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Filed under: MVNOs Apparently, laying off every single one of your employees at your US headquarters doesn't imply you're going out of business. Sonopia, the MVNO that allowed customers to roll their own mini-MVNOs, recently imploded -- but it turns out the company's still there, having maintained its customer base by purchasing minutes through a third-party wholesaler rather than from carriers directly. The remaining operations have retreated to Ukraine, where roughly half of its once 60-strong development staff remains; the CEO says that he's waiting for Americans to warm up to MVNOs to make his triumphant return, and in the meantime, the company is exploring European ventures. For what it's worth, he says they're not pursuing any additional venture capital beyond the $20 million they've raised already, though it's not clear whether that's because he doesn't feel they need any or because they don't stand a prayer of landing funding. On an interesting side node, he also chimed in on the state of other MVNOs currently trying to make a dent in the US market; he thinks value is where it's at, which is what seems to be making TracFone and Virgin Mobile so successful. On the other hand, he thinks Helio already had its chance to be successful; if it was going to be profitable, it'd be there by now, and at this point it's just a matter of how long its corporate parents are willing to cut it an allowance. Then again, do we really trust the opinion of a dude whose MVNO just failed? Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Sonopia, the do-it-yourself MVNO venture enabling organizations, charities or individuals to launch branded mobile services through its online service, is reportedly winding down operations. On his blog, Tapio Anttila--managing partner of digital media consultancy Brauning LLC and a onetime Sonopia senior exec--reports that Sonopia laid off its existing U.S. staff at the end of March, and "reached an amicable resolution with existing marketing partners to transition subscribers it had acquired." Launched in April 2007 by Juha Christensen, the former head of Microsoft's mobile division and a founder of Symbian, Sonopia promised each fledgling MVNO a selection of popular handsets, competitive calling plans, premium voice and data services and customized content, including social networking functionality--each sponsoring group received 5 percent of the revenue collected from its subscribers, with Sonopia sharing the remainder with network partners Verizon Wireless and Vodafone Group. Partners spanned from the National Parks Conservation Association to the American Medical Student Association to the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch Women's Softball League. For more on Sonopia's demise: - read Tapio Anttila's blog entry

Filed under: Verizon Wireless , MVNOs It seems we're a little closer to creating an Engadget Mobile wireless service than we thought! Start-up Sonopia offers... well, pretty much anyone the ability to roll their own MVNO, pushing a selection of handsets and customized content on top of Verizon's network. Big Red offers up the minutes at a wholesale price, so your MVNO's service plans aren't outrageously priced, and as your list of subscribers grows, you get to pocket a little cash out of the deal. It seems like a major win for groups that stand to benefit from being able to offer up phones and services customized to their customers' common ties -- and, of course, Sonopia and Verizon are going to have their hands in the pot, too. The company's website makes setup virtually effortless, so go on and make the next Amp'd , will ya? [Via GigaOM ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.