A former US Presidential candidate has launched Noble Mobile, a new MVNO in the US market.

Founded by Andrew Yang, Noble Mobile has been supported by a $10.3 million seed round led by Corazon Capital.

Other backers of the MVNO include Scott Galloway, Circle Ventures, Idea Fund Partners, Oversubscribed Ventures, Hustle Fund, Brown Angel Group, Acquired Wisdom Fund, Jim McKelvey (founder of Square), and David Ko (CEO of Calm and Member, NYU Board of Trustees).

The company is the latest MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) to launch, and will use T-Mobile's carrier network infrastructure to provide its mobile service.

MVNOs are alternative networks that often offer more niche contracts to traditional mobile operators. They don't own the infrastructure that they use, relying instead on incumbent operators.

Noble is the latest MVNO to launch, with several propping up recently, including SmartLess earlier this year, which was set up by three podcasters. President Donald Trump also announced plans to release a smartphone, with mobile plans provided by Liberty Mobile Wireless (LMW).

In Noble's announcement, the company claims it will pay customers for using less data.

“For years, the focus of my career has been to build a human-centered economy to improve the lives of Americans. During my presidential run, I advocated for UBI. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I lobbied Congress for cash relief and data ownership. The reality was that these approaches require government action, which happens too slowly,” said Andrew Yang, CEO of Noble Mobile.

Yang withdrew during the primaries before endorsing Joe Biden, who would later win the 2020 election.

“I wanted to instead take action to lower the cost of something Americans use every single day, and I realized that there was a way to do that in the telecommunications industry while also tackling issues plaguing our country, like the impact mobile phone addiction and social media are having on our mental health.”

Plans start at $50 per month for a single month, while Noble noted that members who use under 20GB/month receive cash back rewards, which can grow by 5.5 percent annually as a reward for staying a member.

The popularity of MVNOs has been driven through quirky advertising campaigns and also celebrity appeal.

T-Mobile previously acquired MVNO Mint Mobile after it had agreed to pay $1.35 billion to acquire Ka’ena Corporation, plus its subsidiaries and brands, which include Mint Mobile. Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds is a part-owner of Mint.

Uswitch estimates that MVNOs account for more than 10 percent of all mobile users globally.