Deploying an Integrated Digital Infrastructure on a Remote Caribbean Island
May 29, 2025
Delivering Full-Stack 4G/5G and Converged BSS in Challenging Geographies
A regional telecom operator serving a remote Caribbean island aimed at delivering robust connectivity to both the island’s residents and its many visitors.
The island spans about 21 square kilometers with roughly 3,000 permanent residents, yet it also attracts a steady flow of tourists who expect reliable mobile service. The operator provides converged communications – including fixed-line, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), and mobile services – to local subscribers on postpaid plans, while offering prepaid mobile plans to short-term visitors.
This case study explores how Cloudnet.ai enabled the operator to deploy a turnkey 4G/5G network and cloud-based BSS on the island, creating a scalable digital infrastructure that drives performance, agility, and intelligent service delivery.
Overview
Customer: A regional network operator on a Caribbean island (approx. 21 km², population 3,000) providing fixed, FWA, and mobile services to residents and tourists.
Objective: Deploy an end-to-end digital telecom infrastructure – including radio access, core network, and Business Support System – to offer island-wide 4G/5G coverage and converged services for both local subscribers and visitors. The solution needed to be scalable, agile, and remotely manageable given the island’s limited IT resources.
Challenge
Building a full-fledged network on a small, remote island presented both technical and operational challenges. The operator needed a complete set of 4G/5G infrastructure – from radio base stations to core network elements and a Business Support System (BSS) – essentially a greenfield network deployment.
Key requirements included:
Comprehensive Network Hardware & Software: The solution had to cover everything from an access network (cell towers) to a convergent core network and BSS. All core components (for subscriber management, mobility management, data, and voice services) were required to ensure a fully functional 4G/5G system. Mobile services also needed to integrate seamlessly with the existing fixed-line and FWA networks via Session Border Controllers (SBCs), enabling a unified experience across mobile and fixed services.
Converged, Lightweight BSS: The operator sought an integrated BSS platform to support service activation, provisioning, and billing across Mobile, FWA, and Fixed Line offerings. This BSS had to handle different product packages and pricing models – postpaid plans for residents (with converged billing for multiple services) and prepaid plans for tourists (with one-time fees and short-term data bundles). A convergent charging system was crucial so that all services could be billed and managed in a unified way.
Remote Deployment & Limited IT Staff: With only a small on-site technical team, the operator required a solution that could be deployed and operated with minimal local intervention. The installation of hardware (base stations and data center equipment) would be handled by the local team with some guidance, but all complex software setup and configuration needed to be done remotely by the solution provider. This remote-first approach was essential to reduce deployment costs and ensure the system could be maintained going forward despite limited IT manpower.
Solution:
Cloudnet.ai delivered a comprehensive end-to-end solution that addressed the island operator’s needs, from network access to intelligent service management.
The major components of the solution included:
O-RAN Radio Network Deployment: Installation of an Open RAN (O-RAN) based radio access network, with base stations strategically placed to provide 4G/5G coverage across all populated areas of the island. This flexible, standards-based radio solution ensured strong mobile signal for residents and tourists alike, despite the island’s challenging geography.
Converged 4G/5G Core Network: Implementation of a convergent core network supporting both 4G LTE and 5G services. This included all critical core elements – subscriber data management (HLR/HSS/UDM), mobility management (MME for 4G), data transport (SGW/PGW for 4G and user plane functions for 5G), and an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) for voice and multimedia services. By deploying a cloud-native core, the operator gained a high-performance backbone that could seamlessly handle current 4G traffic and scale for future 5G demand.
Veris Cloud BSS Platform: Deployment of Cloudnet.ai’s Veris Cloud BSS, a cloud-native Business Support System that manages customer subscriptions, charging, billing, and customer care with high agility. Key BSS modules were set up, including an online charging system (for real-time usage charging and balance management, supporting convergent charging across services), order management & provisioning (to activate services instantly as subscribers sign up or change plans), a customer management portal, and self-care channels (web and mobile app) for users. This modern BSS enabled unified billing for bundled services (mobile, FWA, and fixed-line) and provided the flexibility to introduce new plans or promotions in minutes. Crucially, the platform is designed with eSIM support, allowing the operator to plan future eSIM offerings so tourists can activate service digitally without a physical SIM card.
Remote Implementation & Training: Cloudnet.ai worked in close collaboration with the operator’s team to execute the deployment with minimal on-site friction. After the local team set up the physical infrastructure (base station hardware and the island data center servers), Cloudnet.ai engineers remotely installed and configured the core network and BSS software. Extensive testing was conducted – including System Integration Testing (SIT) and Final Acceptance Testing (FAT) – to ensure all components (radio, core, BSS, SBC integration) worked together flawlessly. Cloudnet.ai also provided comprehensive training to the operator’s staff through a combination of remote sessions and on-site guidance, empowering the small local team to operate and maintain the new network confidently.
Outcome:
Through this partnership with Cloudnet.ai, the island operator achieved a successful deployment of a fully integrated digital telecom infrastructure.
Key outcomes included:
Island-Wide 4G/5G Coverage: The operator now delivers reliable 4G/5G mobile coverage across the entire island. Residents enjoy high-speed broadband and voice services on par with mainland standards, and tourists can stay connected anywhere from the beaches to the town center. The network’s performance meets modern expectations, ensuring voice calls, data streaming, and critical communications all run smoothly even during peak tourist seasons.
Converged Services & Unified Billing: The project enabled the launch of converged broadband and mobile services powered by the Veris Cloud BSS platform. All customer segments – local subscribers and visitors – are served through one unified system, which intelligently handles multiple service types and pricing models. Convergent billing is now in place, so a household can get a single bill for mobile, home internet (FWA or fixed), and any add-on services, while tourists can easily purchase short-term data passes. The cloud-based BSS gives the operator the agility to create or adjust products and promotions quickly, and its support for eSIM means the operator is prepared to offer convenient digital SIM onboarding for travelers in the near future.
Agile, Intelligent Operations: Despite having a lean IT team, the operator can efficiently manage and scale the new network thanks to the solution’s cloud-native and AI-driven capabilities. Much of the service provisioning and charging process is automated and intelligently controlled, reducing the need for manual oversight. The remote management capabilities and training provided mean that ongoing maintenance and updates can be handled with agility. The operator can introduce new features or capacity upgrades rapidly (for example, rolling out a 5G standalone upgrade or new digital services) without significant downtime. Overall, the island’s connectivity has undergone a true digital transformation – turning a once under-connected region into one with a modern, scalable infrastructure that supports the community’s needs and fuels economic activity.
The case of this Caribbean island highlights Cloudnet.ai’s ability to deliver turnkey telecom solutions in even the most isolated locales.
By focusing on performance, agility, and intelligent service delivery, we enabled a small operator to leapfrog into the 4G/5G era – bringing world-class connectivity to local residents and enhancing the experience for tourists, all through a streamlined and future-proof platform.
