The Opportunity
O2 required enhanced resilience for their Wi-Fi network, during conversations with FluidOne, they realised the FluidOne Service Exchange Platform could provide geographic diversity. Therefore has signed a multi-million pound three-year contract with data communications provider, FluidOne. The deal covers two major projects: FluidOne will provide additional resilience for the O2 Wifi network; and O2 Wifi will use FluidOne’s Service Exchange Platform to provide last mile connectivity to underpin O2 Wifi hotspots across the UK.
Network Resilience
As O2 Wifi rolls out larger networks across the UK, it has to be able to deliver a resilient and highly reliable network for its customers. O2 is working with FluidOne to provide an additional level of resilience to O2 Wifi as more and more data travels over Wifi in the UK.
FluidOne will provide space in its brand new datacentre facility in Manchester, doubling datacentre capacity for O2 Wifi. The Telecity Joule House datacentre, which opened in 2013 as part of a network upgrade for FluidOne, has 3.5 Megawatt capacity and 2N power resilience, and is capable of providing up to 20 Kilowatts per rack.
FluidOne MD Piers Daniell said: “Geographic diversity and resilience is critical to a network’s future. O2 is using state-of-the-art technology and failover services to make sure it gives customers the best possible service.”
Service Exchange Platform
O2 will use FluidOne’s Service Exchange Platform in order to extend the reach of its O2 Wifi services in the UK.
The Service Exchange Platform aggregates connections across 16 of the major carriers (including O2), and links more than 50 ISPs through the platform. This means that service providers don’t have to build into new areas, but can use the combined networks of other providers on the platform, reaching new customers in previously inaccessible areas.
