Pronto Networks (pdf), managagement system for large, multi-element hot zone networks, and Tropos Networks, the leading supplier of metro-scale Wi-Fi mesh networks, today announced a strategic partnership to enable metro-scale broadband service in Chaska, MN and Cerritos, CA.
The joint Pronto/Tropos metro-area Wi-Fi solution enables subscriber management, multiple service plans and authentication methods for different types of users in the hot zone. The end-to-end solution consists of Pronto’s Operations Support System and Pronto’s Hotzone Gateway, combined with Tropos 5110 Wi-Fi cells, and their Control element manager.
“Our joint solution has enabled the cities of Cerritos and Chaska to rapidly deploy metro-area networks without the truck rolls and time-consuming back-office setup usually involved”, said Ron Sege, president and CEO of Tropos Networks. We anticipate that many other municipalities will unwire their cities in a similar fashion to increase productivity and enable mobility.”
The Pronto/Tropos joint solution selected by chaska.net provides 16-square miles of Wi-Fi coverage in Chaska, MN and provides 8.6-square miles of coverage for Aiirmesh Networks in Cerritos, CA. It enables these cities to deploy broadband services to city and public safety workers as well as offer paid service plans for businesses and residents. An added benefit for subscribers and local government is the ability to stay connected to the community through special web pages highlighting important community information and events.
Pronto’s OSS also enables municipalities to sublet their network to Virtual Network Operators who can brand the wireless service as their own. Pronto’s OSS provides secure authentication and access control, pre-paid and post-paid billing, location-based services, incident tracking, remote subscriber monitoring, and roaming clearing and settlement. Pronto’s Hotzone Gateway supports up to 2000 concurrent users.
The Tropos 5110 Wi-Fi cell is an outdoor-optimized wireless mesh router based on the 802.11 standard. Their Predictive Wireless Routing Protocol routes traffic wirelessly, eliminating up to 95% of the wired backhaul. Tropos says it scales to thousands of nodes while network support costs are minimized via the central management capabilities of the Tropos Control Element Manager and the Prontos subscribe support system.
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