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O2 and Fluidata sign multi-million pound contract

O2 has signed a multi-million pound three-year contract with data communications provider, Fluidata. The deal covers two major projects: Fluidata will provide additional resilience for the O2 Wifi network; and O2 Wifi will use Fluidata’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 Fluidata to provide an additional level of resilience to O2 Wifi as more and more data travels over Wifi in the UK.

Fluidata 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 Fluidata, has 3.5 Megawatt capacity and 2N power resilience, and is capable of providing up to 20 Kilowatts per rack.

Fluidata 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 Fluidata’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.

Fluidata MD Piers Daniell said: “Our Service Exchange Platform means that ISPs can offer a service to consumers in areas previously beyond their reach. It’s good news for businesses and consumers, as they have a wider choice of networks. O2 Wifi is deploying a uniform and free service for all its consumers so it needs to be able to deploy hotspots wherever customers demand them.”