Understanding Mobile Virtual Network Operators

Tesla is famous for throwing caution to the wind in the name of rolling out cool technology, so it was somewhat surprising to see its robotaxi service launch over the weekend in somewhat muted fashion. The Verge's Andy Hawkins joins the show to explain what, exactly, Elon Musk and co. launched, and what it says about the state of the self-driving revolution. After that, The Verge's Allison Johnson takes us through the history of MVNOs, and why they might just be the best deal in wireless carriers. We talk about Trump Mobile, Ryan Reynolds, e-SIMs, and what it would mean to make it easier to switch service. Finally, we answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline about how to free up storage on your iPhone. It's harder than it should be, but hopefully easier than you think.

Further reading:

• Tesla’s robotaxi is live: here are some of the first reactions
• The Tesla Cybercab is a cool-looking prototype that needed to be much more than that
• Waymo says it will add 2,000 more robotaxis into 2026
• How Donald Trump and Ryan Reynolds can easily sell you phone plans
• Trump Mobile is a bad deal
• How to clear up space on your iPhone when you’re running out of storage




Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices