Mavenir Partners With TextNow to Evolve App-Based 5G MVNO Service

Adoption of cloud-native Mavenir BSS and Core aligns with TextNow’s focus on long-term innovation

SAN FRANCISCO and RICHARDSON, Texas, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TextNow, the leading ad-supported U.S. free wireless service, and Mavenir, the disruptive cloud-native telco technology provider, today announced the integration of Mavenir’s cloud-native mobile BSS and Core into TextNow’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) infrastructure.

Mavenir’s cloud-native BSS and Core platform solution is designed to help TextNow to onboard new users faster, launch differentiated service tiers, and expand its free wireless model to reach even more of the millions of Americans looking for great wireless service without overpaying for it. Highlighting TextNow’s focus on innovation, this Mavenir integration delivers a range of features to better support TextNow’s 8 million+ active users, including the ability to manage sponsorship partners, develop roaming relationships, and provision users with independent SIM profiles.

“TextNow has spent 17 years proving that wireless service can be free, can be supported by advertising, and can deliver a great experience on a nationwide 5G network,” said Tristan Huntington, Senior Vice President, Partnerships & Innovation, of TextNow. “Partnering with Mavenir allows us to remain at the forefront of innovation, giving us more control over the customer experience and a faster path to launching new features — which means we can keep pushing the boundaries of what free wireless should be.”

Mavenir’s flexible cloud native modular platform can support every MVNO model and their go-to-market strategy, whether launching a sub-brand, adding mobility to an existing portfolio, or scaling a challenger brand.

“The MVNO market continues to evolve as operators look to innovate and differentiate their offerings - but this is simply not possible without the flexibility and scale enabled by the underlying cloud-native platform,” said Sandeep Singh, SVP & General Manager, Business Solutions, of Mavenir. “TextNow’s adoption of Mavenir is a prime example of how Mavenir’s cloud-based technology is helping to take an MVNO to the next level, shifting from ‘Thin’ to ‘Thick’, enabling a high degree of service innovation and differentiation, and bringing free connectivity to millions more customers.”

The Mavenir platform allows thin MVNOs to enter the market with a world class BSS platform, enabling personalization, differentiation, and smart bundling of customer offers to help maximize revenues. It will also offer thick MVNOs full network level control to innovate and build deep network integration, which includes features like QoS segments, Standalone 5G connectivity monetization, and IoT traffic handling.

Mobile World Congress [#MWC26]: 
Mavenir Convenes MVNO Leaders for High-Impact MWC26 Panel

Mavenir, in collaboration with Mobile World Live, will host an MVNO panel at MWC26, “MWC26 Panel: Built for More, Bound by Less: The Rise of a New Breed of MNO Embracing AI, Cloud & 5G - Mavenir” at its stand in Hall 2, 2H60. The session will highlight how MVNOs can accelerate growth through cloud-native architectures, AI-driven insight, and flexible monetization, offering practical tactics to differentiate on experience rather than price.
Register – For In-Person or on the Live Streaming of the panel.

About TextNow:
TextNow is on a mission to make phone service free, easy, and accessible to all as the only mobile provider to offer unlimited calling and texting, and free essential data on the nation’s largest 5G network. Founded in 2009, TextNow is the largest provider of free mobile phone service in the U.S., and the only one offering free service supported by advertising. We have offices in San Francisco and Waterloo, Ontario and our app has been downloaded more than 300 million times globally. Our phone service helps millions of people connect freely every month. For more information, visit https://www.textnow.com/, and follow us on Instagram.

About Mavenir:
Mavenir is enabling intelligent, automated, programmable networks through the development of telco-first, cloud-native, AI-by-design software solutions for mobile operators. The company’s deep telco domain expertise has been proven through deployments with 300+ operators globally in over 120 countries, which together serve more than 50% of the world’s subscribers. Mavenir combines its deep telco experience with the cloud and IT expertise and data science skillsets essential to solving real customer challenges. Its proven software solutions are AI by design, delivering the AI-native future and operators’ evolution to TechCos. For more information, please visit www.mavenir.com

Mavenir PR Contact:
Emmanuela Spiteri PR@mavenir.com

TextNow PR Contact: 
Tali Fischer Tali.fischer@textnow.com