Today, cities want to roll out citywide Wi-Fi MetroZones cost effectively to increase city worker productivity, while providing low cost Internet access to residents and visitors, and facilitating economic development. To meet this need for secure IP-based access and a service delivery platform for mixed-use applications, Pronto Networks has created a solution that brings complementary carrier-class metro-scale radio network technology and Operations Support System (OSS) software together. Now, with this joint solution, cities can quickly deploy a metro-scale Wi-Fi network for public safety and offer Internet access to capture revenue from businesses and residents.

Pronto has developed a complete turnkey MetroZone Pilot Pack solution for cities and operators that want to deploy Wi-Fi at a low cost of entry in a localized area of 1/4 to 1/3 square mile. The MetroZone Pilot Pack is a turnkey solution that comes pre-packaged with Pronto's Managed Services, its UniFi OSS, choice of network radios, a site survey package, network integration services, training, and an ongoing support contract. Best of all, you deal with a single vendor to deploy this end-to-end solution.

Over and above the plain vanilla broadband wireless access, providers are taking the Wi-Fi opportunity to deploy various applications and provide VAS to their users, thus reducing churn and attracting more users, preparing them to better face Competition & self-destructive technology by being updated and providing scalable and future facing solution. Applications that are gaining in popularity range right from public safety initiatives taken up by cities to bridging the digital divide, thus leading to economic, technical as well as infrastructural development.

The MetroZone Pilot Pack solution is hosted by Pronto Networks' carrier-class Managed Services Platform which guarantees high network availability and superior back-office services. The solution being pre-packaged with all the essential features required for a metro-scale deployment enables the Provider to cost-effectively deploy the solution package and get it up an running within a week. The effectiveness & accuracy of the solution is taken care of by the systematic site survey packages to ensure the network is deployed according to the requirements. The solution is "Roaming Ready", which enables roaming access to iPass, Boingo, Syniverse, and Sprint. The solution provides an advanced service delivery platform for emerging value-added services such as voice services, location-based content management, online gaming, music downloads, advertising and much more. Pronto's UniFi OSS solution is based on many successful deployments in municipalities today, and is grounded in standards to ensure compatibility with evolving technologies. It also offers an upgrade path to scale the deployment for additional users, a broader coverage area, or deployment in a customer's own data center.

The Pronto UniFi OSS provides centralized real-time Authentication, Subscriber Management, Billing Mediation, Customer Care, Roaming Settlement and Network Management capabilities.

The main features of the UniFi solution include:

• Seamless experience for in-motion users with accurate accounting & billing capabilities
• Support for various VAS including VoIP, home safety using Video Surveillance, field staff access etc.
• Support for mixed-use applications, ranging form Public Safety to residential, Visitors to Municipal Employees
• Turnkey subscriber management & billing platform
• Customer Self-Care portals
• Minimal upfront investment

Key Benefits of becoming a MetroZone provider

There are wide ranges of applications that can be deployed over a community-wide wireless network. Some of them are:

• Enables quick deployment of a Metro-scaled Hotzone network at a low entry cost
• Immediately tap the reach of Pronto's roaming relationships and extensive distribution network, which includes millions of potential users
• Uses standard Internet browser-based user-name and password access in a secure environment
• Offers different price plans for different types of users - municipality employees, residential subscribers, visitors, etc.
• Provides an upgrade path for growth and scalability
• Offers the full functionality of the Pronto Managed Services solution, including call-center support for end-users

Pronto's MSP Offering

The Pronto Managed Services Program uses the award winning Pronto Networks UniFi Operations Support System (OSS) as the core business intelligence that fuels your network. The Unifi OSS is a comprehensive service delivery platform that enables subscriber access and monitoring, billing, customer care, Quality of Service, aggregator roaming, multiple methods of authentication, reporting, custom branding, and much more. Combine this with superior back office services that include subscriber hosting, payment processing, network monitoring, a 24x7/365 Call Center, among many other core services.

• Service Provisioning : Pronto assists the customer in provisioning the service by performing the following activities for each deployment.
• Network Management : Pronto operates a NOC 24x7 for the purpose of monitoring and managing the Wi-Fi network. Pronto guarantees 98%. Pronto uses its best efforts to correct any errors within its control.
• Call Center Support : Pronto provides multiple options for end-user support under its Managed Services offering. These include a best-effort toll free customer support line, or a planned and defined customer support center, customized based on the customer requirements.

About Pronto Networks
Pronto Networks, based in Pleasanton, California, provides a carrier-class Operations Support Systems (OSS) that enable network operators to deploy and manage large public hot spot and hot zone networks. The software handles provisioning, configuration, authentication, access control, security, pre-paid and post-paid billing, and roaming settlement for large public WLAN networks, in addition to remotely managing and updating multi-vendor hardware and Wi-Fi switches.

Click here to access the MetroZone Pilot Pack contact form