BigAir continues partner expansion

Wireless broadband service provider BigAir is on the hunt for further reseller deals after inking a partnership with managed service provider Virtual.Offis.

The distribution agreement involves Virtual.Offis providing BigAir’s wireless broadband to its customer base to ensure customers remain untarnished by the outcomes of a copper sell-off in the telecommunications industry.

Jason Ashton, chief executive officer of BigAir, said extending its channel presence has proved a successful method for boosting its customer base.

“We currently have 20 reseller and wholesale partners and we are looking to partner with 45 to 50 by the end of June,” he said.

Ashton claimed partnering with BigAir enables resellers to make money on additional solutions while BigAir provides the robust, high-speed pipes.

“A good partner for us has the integration capacity and are a solution provider who can really add value for the customers.”

Ashton said BigAir has a metropolitan focus on cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and concentrates on the business market.

“We are not looking for coverage in all the Australian regions or smaller cities,” he added.

Craig Allen, chief executive officer of Virtual Offis said the decision to offer wireless was a strategic response to uncertainty in the market over the future of copper and VoIP services.

“The ability to incorporate wireless into service offerings is especially important for MSPs because I believe it is only a matter of time before Telstra sells off of its copper infrastructure in order to focus on fibre and wireless networks. Businesses relying solely on copper run the risk of being left in contractual limbo within the next few years,” he said.