WiFi Roaming to Help Bridge Gap Between Mobile Broadband and WiFi

You know it’s frustrating: We have two tremendous technologies in WiFi and mobile broadband that let us connect to the Internet, yet getting the two to work seamlessly together has been a bit if a headache to this point in time. Further adding to the consternation over the whole thing is that an automatic handoff between a mobile broadband network and a WiFi hotspot would relieve a mountain of traffic for the former, leading to substantial consumer savings on data rates.

The GSMA and the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) are collaborating on an effort to make the mobile-broadband-to-WiFi transition simpler with WiFi roaming.

The groups are developing “technical and commercial frameworks for Wi-Fi roaming” that utilize Next Generation Hotspot and Passpoint certification technologies along with the GSMA’s and WBA’s established roaming models. A device’s SIM card will be used for authentication.

There’s plenty of work to do, including figuring out security, billing, and other technical aspects of WiFi roaming, but we certainly hope to see this implemented sooner rather than later.

GSMA AND WBA COLLABORATE TO SIMPLIFY WI-FI HOTSPOT ACCESS FOR SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS

Initiative Will Enable Automatic Authentication of Mobile Devices on Wi-Fi Networks

20 March 2012, London, UK: The GSMA and the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) today announced they are working together to simplify connectivity to Wi-Fi hotspots from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The joint initiative is developing technical and commercial frameworks for Wi-Fi roaming, which will bring together the benefits of mobile technology and Wi-Fi networks for the first time, creating a far simpler consumer experience.

"The proliferation of smartphones and tablets around the world, as well as consumers' huge appetite for data means innovative solutions need to be explored to make using the Internet as convenient and as accessible as possible," said Dan Warren, Senior Director of Technology at the GSMA. "Through combining the proven capabilities of Mobile Broadband and Wi-Fi technologies, users will have the freedom to move between networks with ease."

Wi-Fi is increasingly emerging as a feature on smartphones and tablets, but today there is no consistency in the way these devices attach to Wi-Fi networks. This process includes device configuration, the use of access keys and the various mechanisms for acquiring and paying for connectivity. Wi-Fi roaming will allow mobile devices to seamlessly connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot using the SIM card for authentication, as well as enable mobile operators to uniquely and securely identify users whether they are on a mobile or Wi-Fi network.

Wi-Fi roaming will be based on the WBA's 'Next Generation Hotspot' programme and the Wi-Fi Alliance's 'Passpoint certification' technology. It will also build on the GSMA's successful roaming principles that have propelled the mobile industry to more than six billion mobile connections worldwide, a number that is expected to more than double within the next ten years.

"The combination of Wi-Fi and mobile technologies extends the power of broadband for consumers," said Shrikant Shenwai, CEO, WBA. "The work by the WBA and the GSMA will expedite the availability of a new generation of Internet access for the benefit of consumers everywhere. Key to this is Wi-Fi being able to replicate the success of mobile technology and allow users to roam seamlessly between different networks."

To date, the Wi-Fi roaming initiative has identified and agreed to the basis for a common approach to authenticating mobile devices on Wi-Fi hotspots, automatically and securely. It will now work towards aligning guidelines on security, billing, data offload, device implementation and network selection to create a consistent solution for GSMA and WBA members. This work will build on the GSMA's GPRS Roaming Exchange (GRX) and the WBA's Wireless Roaming Intermediary Exchange (WRIX) roaming models, which combined, will enable billions of consumers around the world to enjoy straightforward Internet connectivity.