A new initiative between the GSMA and Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) announced today could see billions of smartphone and tablet owners effortlessly switch between mobile and Wi-Fi networks, without the hassle of locating hotspot hosts and keying in passwords.
Today’s announcement sees both parties commit to developing a technical and commercial framework for Wi-Fi roaming, which will use a device’s SIM card to authenticate a device on a Wi-Fi hotspot without any input from the user.
As a result, the user will be able to benefit from (supposedly) improved Internet speeds, and mobile operators will be able to identify whether their customers are connected to a mobile or wireless network. Given the initiative could offload mobile data to a residential or business-owned wireless network, operators must be eyeing this development with great interest.
The new Wi-Fi roaming standard will utilise WBA’s ‘Next Generation Hotspot’ programme and the Wi-Fi Alliance’s ‘Passpoint certification’ technology. Currently, the project has been agreed and a common approach has been reached — the next part will see the WBA and GSMA combine guidelines on security, billing, data offload, device implementation and network selection, making it consistent for each of the organisation’s members.
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If realised, the new Wi-Fi roaming standard could help billions smartphone and tablet owners easily connect to Internet connections the world over, ensuring they don’t run up huge data usage bills in the process.
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