SLT picks Fontech’s software to deliver public Wifi connectivity

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the national ICT solutions provider and Fontech (Fon), the world’s leading carrier Wi-fi provider based on Madrid, Spain, recently signed an agreement.

The deal includes Fontech’s Wifi Service Management Platform (WSMP) and Connection Manager as well as an international roaming agreement with FON-SLT.

This will enable SLT to deliver Wifi connectivity to their subscriber base as well as opting for Fontech’s robust, carrier-grade WSMP to deliver seamless Wifi access locally. SLT has also signed a roaming agreement with Fon to grant their users international access to Wifi in over 23 million locations around the world.

Sri Lanka Telecom PLC CEO Kiththi Perera said: “Our partnership with Fon will help us to deliver a better connectivity experience for our customers. Not only will Fon’s technology complement our existing services in Sri Lanka through delivering seamless Wifi outside of the home, but we are also delighted to offer our customers the convenience of being able to access millions of Fon hotspots globally. We extend our fullest support to the government’s initiative to increase the current internet penetration in the country towards the set target. With the notable increase in smart devices in the market, we are really focused on improving our services both indoor and outdoor.”

With the help of the flexibility of Fontech’s cutting-edge, vendoragnostic technology, SLT will be integrating it into Customer premises Equipment (CPE) models over FTTH, ADSL and LTE technologies. SLT will provide customers with several different access alternatives to login to these Wifi hotspots, including Mobile App, through a captive portal, through WISPR (Wireless Internet Service Provider roaming) seamless connectivity, and through EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol).

“We are delighted that Sri Lanka Telecom has chosen our innovative technology to deploy their Wi-fi strategy. This deal is a good example of our commitment to the Wifi ecosystem. While Fon continues to specialise in the aggregation of Wifi networks, ensuring that the world’s largest community network continues to grow, Fontech is dedicated to developing the technology that operates the service. Our cutting-edge solutions enable our clients to deliver exceptional Wifi experiences to their customers,” said Fon CEO Alex Puregger.

The deployments will be commencing in the first quarter of 2019. By the end of 2019, more than 200,000 hotspots will be available in Sri Lanka which will be an important addition to the total number of Fon hotspots worldwide, supporting Fon’s expansion in Asia.