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Rabona Mobile, a brand designed for soccer fans and likely Italian immigrants, has officially launched in the United States using the T-Mobile network. Rabona is both an MVNO and an MVNE, meaning it not only sells wireless service directly to consumers but also enables businesses to launch their own MVNOs through a partner program.
Rabona describes itself as a "U.S.-based company with Italian ownership," and with a "strong brand identity rooted in sports and lifestyle." Owners Stefano and Maurizio D’Alessandro bring over 15 years of telecom industry experience and also operate the Rabona MVNO brand in Italy, which was founded in 2008. In addition, they offer global travel eSIMs through their Rabona Connect brand.
The company name comes from the “rabona,” a flashy soccer move where a player kicks the ball by wrapping one leg behind the other. The move is a symbol of creativity, elegance, and freedom, qualities Rabona aims to reflect in its wireless service.
Rabona Mobile is an online-only brand offering eSIM-only service through a dedicated mobile app. The company has launched four phone plans:
Rabona Mobile Phone Plans Explained
All of Rabona's phone plans include unlimited talk (defined as 10,000 minutes), text (defined as 10,000 texts) and data. Data speeds are throttled to 256Kbps after the high-speed data allotments are used. Here are the plans they offer:
- Rabona Basic - $19.99/mo, 1.5GB high-speed data
- Rabona Plus - $29.99/mo, 5GB high-speed data
- Rabona Top - $39.99/mo, 10GB high-speed data
- Soccer USA - $49.99/mo, 20GB high-speed data
Taxes and fees cost extra. They don't specify if mobile hotspot is included with any plans but do have a customer support number at 771-244-9000 that is supposedly available 24-7.
Editor's Take
Aside from being a new brand in the USA which should generally be approached with caution, Rabona's plans are simply too expensive to compete in the USA MVNO market. They also lack any unique features that may have helped to justify their premium pricing. Given the price of their plans and that they also operate a travel eSIM business, it is surprising they are not including global roaming with them. Rabona may attract some customers based on brand recognition among Italian immigrants and travelers from Italy, but broader appeal will likely be limited.
The Rabona website reveals its European origins, with some prices still listed in euros and awkward English in some places, for example: “Explore the USA without limits with our and data connection, wherever you go,” and “Buy your eSIM and take the prepaid plane instantly and pay online quickly” phrasing can be found on their homepage.
Rabona has mobile apps available in both the iOS app store, and Google Play Store. The Google Play Store app has been downloaded over 50 times but there are no reviews of the service.