If you’ve ever wanted to have your own mobile phone network, now you can. Sonopia launched today, and it allows anyone to create their own virtual mobile phone network in a couple of minutes.
Sonopia uses Verizon to handle actual calls and data, and is effectively a reseller of their service. Users who set up a network for their affinity group (sports team, church, school, etc.) will receive 3-8% of the revenues generated from their customers (the percentage increases as the number of customers grows).
Managed by Sonopia and run over the Verizon network the phone service will be branded with whatever name you choose and can be set up in just 15 minutes online.
Interestingly Sonopia are not going to be promoting their own brand in the deal which is being compared to affinity credit cards that have become popular over the last few years.
Does it work? Well I tried for ages to set up my own network but the website wouldn’t accept the form so it seems they have some technical issues at the moment.
Users can choose from a few different phones and calling plans and can co-brand their own website to get people to sign up.
Almost as an afterthought, it seems, Sonopia tacked on social networking features to their site as well. Subscribers can add friends, create a profile, upload pictures and video from their phone, etc.
