Mobile network operator (MNO)

A company that owns mobile network infrastructure and issues phone numbers from its allocated ranges, like Vodafone or T-Mobile.

MNOs run the radio networks and hold the number ranges that national regulators allocate. Every real mobile number traces to an operator range, which is what range-based checks (VoIP detection, HLR lookups) rely on.

In verification services, "operator" filters let you pick which carrier's range your rented number comes from, useful when a platform favors certain networks in a country.