Telecom network vendor Ericsson India today announced its Small Cell as a Service deal with public neutral Wi-Fi provider Ozone Networks.
Small Cell as a Service enables telecom operators to increase network capacity in environments where it isn’t practical to build parallel networks, said Ericsson.
“Our ability to plan, design and operate networks in all types of environments enables us to propose a package of services that is customized to meet any customer’s needs. In several ways, Ozone can monetize its network, including the possibility of data-offload agreements with other operators,” said Chris Houghton, head of Region India at Ericsson.
The Small Cell as a Service deal with Ericsson will enable Ozone’s Wi-Fi network to serve restaurants, cafes, shops and malls.
The telecom network vendor said that the small cell deal is an example of the connected venue application from Ericsson.
Deployment of Ericsson’s Small Cell as a Service offering will enable Ozone Networks to manage consumer expectations in ultra-dense environments.
“The partnership will also ensure that Ozone is able to establish the neutral Wi-Fi model in India, which will help the Indian Government make the right to internet access a reality for every Indian,” said Sanjeev Sarin, chief executive officer at Ozone Networks.
Ericsson will supply 30,000 Wi-Fi access points and network management nodes and tools, as well as a variety of options for monetizing the Wi-Fi network in the first stage of the project.
These include opportunities for offering telecom operators the chance to reduce the data burden on their network by utilizing the neutral Wi-Fi network to carry some of the traffic.
As per the deal, Ericsson will provide Wi-Fi technology based on an as-a-Service model, and manage it according to a service level agreement for a period of five years.
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