BT deployed a virtualised real-time BSS charging platform from Openet to help monetise its BT Mobile MVNO service in the UK.
The former incumbent operator, which last week gained regulatory approval to acquire UK mobile operator EE, deployed Openet's NFV-ready evolved charging solution to cut the time taken to bring new services to market. In a statement announcing the move, Openet said its BSS system will also enable BT to quickly adopt new business models while minimising the cost of deploying those services, and that the platform will improve the quality of experience for BT's MVNO customers.
Openet stated that its virtualised charging platform enables BT Mobile to provide immediate visibility of balances and usage notifications, while enabling the operator to manage customer usage allowances. The BSS company added that BT Mobile is also utilising the platform to prioritise and re-calculate customer bundles in the middle of the billing cycle, enabling the operator to upgrade subscribers to higher allowances automatically.
Mark O'Flaherty, director of BT Consumer IT, said deploying the Openet BSS technology was a key element in the launch of the BT Mobile MVNO service. "We required flexible technology that gives us the ability to react to rapidly changing market conditions," he said, adding that Openet's technology "ensures we have a highly competitive UK market proposition that will help us quickly grow market share."
The UK Competition and Markets Authority's approval of BT's £12.5 billion (€16.2 billion/$17.7 billion) bid for EE prompted speculation that the operator will phase out the mobile brand to market all of its services under the BT moniker.
While the Financial Times previously reported that BT would keep both brands following the take-over, CCS Insight analyst Kester Mann tipped the operator to phase out the EE brand in the long-term.
However, Mann said BT should first focus on the integration of EE's mobile network with its own fixed-line infrastructure before attempting to replace the EE brand, which he noted "has benefitted from strong investment to become synonymous with widespread 4G coverage."
For more:
- read this Openet announcement
- see this Financial Times article
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