Ep 60 - The American dream: Building a killer MVNO (Ahmed Khattak)
Telco in 20
Building a Killer MVNO with Public Cloud
The chapter discusses the benefits and challenges of using public cloud technology in building a successful MVNO. It highlights the speed, security, and agility enabled by the cloud, as well as the advantages of feature flagging and a software-driven approach.
I spend a lot of time talking to telcos about how public cloud technology can help them delight subscribers and boost ARPU. Ahmed Khattak, founder and CEO of US Mobile, knows exactly what I’m talking about. He built the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) natively on the public cloud from day one. In this episode, we talk about his vision for the company and how it benefits from its public-cloud-first design. Click play to hear our conversation about:
- How Ahmed’s experience coming to the United States from Pakistan shaped his vision for US Mobile [01:50];
- What sets the company apart from other US-based MVNOs [02:28];
- The benefits of building in the public cloud [04:12]; and
- The key public cloud attribute that Ahmed thinks is underrated by telcos [09:54].
Listen now by clicking play above or subscribe through your favorite podcast platform—see the links in the right column above. You can find the transcript for this episode here.
Links and Resources
- Visit the US Mobile website.
- Learn more about the upcoming MVNO Summit at Mobile World Congress 2023. Totogi is a gold sponsor—let’s meet while we’re there!
- Check out MongoDB, US Mobile’s database of choice. It’s a single-table database like DynamoDB, which is what Totogi uses.
- [google cloud/US mobile announcement / blog]
- Don’t build your own charger! Instead try out Totogi’s Charging a Service
- Read this March 2021 white paper about how US Mobile built pooled plans.
- Ahmed has been an entrepreneur to watch for most of his career, like when he was included in Under30CEO’s list of the 30 Most Influential Young Entrepreneurs in 2011 and featured in Entrepreneur Magazine in 2012.
- Check out my high-five photo with former U.S. President Barack Obama. Amazing!
- Remember the 1988 movie Coming to America with Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall?
Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.
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This week’s guest
About Ahmed Khattak
Ahmed Khattak is the CEO and founder of US Mobile, a fast-growing Hybrid Network Operator that’s disrupting the wireless industry with more than 400 customizable plans, cutting-edge features, and world-class customer service. With a wealth of experience in the telecommunications industry, Ahmed is on a mission to democratize connectivity. He has been recognized as Bloomberg Businessweek’s “Top 25 Entrepreneurs under 25,” Under30CEO’s “Top 30 Most Influential Entrepreneurs under 30,” and a finalist for Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Entrepreneur of the Year.”
Podcast Credits
- Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDR
- Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media
- Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing
- Editing: Andrew Condell
- Associate Producer: Kriselda Dionisio
- Music: Dyami Wilson
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