Pronto Networks, whose carrier-class operations support systems (OSS), manages a variety of large-scale Wi-Fi hot spots, today announced a $15 million investment in products and services for the launch of UniFi Digital Communities Grid, a nationwide municipal broadband network that connects people from city to city and serves as a platform for both emergency and community based services.
The UniFi Digital Communities Grid is based on an open, standards-based architecture that allows city employees and residents to roam onto other participating municipal networks using existing user credentials.
It also serves as a platform for introducing services — such as homeland security and Amber alerts, automated meter reading (AMR), traffic and pedestrian control, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) applications for water and wastewater treatment, and video surveillance. Pronto says it will help streamline city operations and will expand and improve services for municipal governments, businesses and citizens.
For non-government workers, cities have the option to charge for access to generate additional revenue or may allow visitors to roam for free on their network. Cities may also generate revenue by offering wholesale access to Virtual Network Operators (VNOs).
The UniFi Digital Communities Grid initiative is built with technology partners that include Cellnet, providing AMR and SCADA solutions; Cross Current, supplying public safety and computer aided dispatch; and Lexis, providing wireless parking management systems and equipment.
The UniFi Digital Communities Grid is compliant with the IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) framework, providing a foundation for city operators to deploy rich, IP-based multimedia services, such as integrated voice, data, video calling, IPTV and multi-player gaming. The Grid will also be enabled for advanced SMS services, such as allowing subscribers to pay for and gain access to the Internet by sending an SMS text message to the 80211 short code.
“The UniFi Digital Communities Grid meets a need in the marketplace to connect communities that have recently deployed or planning to deploy large, broadband wireless networks,” said Reed Hundt, former FCC Chairman. “It will also significantly improve city services and reduce the cost of government as new applications, such as homeland security alerts, are introduced.”
Participating cities in the initial launch include Camden County, NJ (consisting of 37 municipalities); Corpus Christi, TX; Daytona Beach, FL; Marietta, OH; Nantucket, MA; Fire Island, NY; and Central California Broadband Project that aims to connect most of the cities in the central California region.
