As we prepare to help host the upcoming Wireless Broadband Alliance Wi-Fi Global Congress in our own backyard in San Francisco, I’ve found myself reflecting on how far we’ve come with advancing the standards around Next Generation Hotspot.
In June 2011, Read More »
Tags: Hotspot, mobility, next generation hotspot, Service Provider, wi-fi, wifi
By Lisa Garza
It was raining in London last week during the LightReading event Strategic Opportunities in Service Provider Wi-Fi. That might not sound unusual, but actually my cab driver said it had been a dry winter, and the rain was much needed for his garden. That’s how I felt about the event – it felt like a lovely spring rain.
Heavy Reading Senior Analyst Gabriel Brown first addressed the packed room by likening the early days of Wi-Fi to the Wild West. With the advent of carrier-grade Wi-Fi, the integration of Wi-Fi into Mobile networks, and initiatives such as the Wireless Broadband Alliance Next Generation Hotspot Program, the west is slowly Read More »
Tags: Hotspot, next generation hotspot, Service Provider, wi-fi, wifi
Contributed By Lisa Garza, Cisco Service Provider Marketing, Mobility Solutions
On the edge of Paris this week, a group of Wi-Fi experts gathered for a historic occasion - one they’ll be able to tell their grandchildren about.
It was the 19th Roundtable Conference of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA).
The occasion was the launch of the Next Generation Hotspot trials. These trials will set the stage for the future of Wi-Fi, establishing it as a robust, secure technology that will augment and complement 3G and 4G networks for years to come.
Next Generation Hotspot is based on the concept that Wi-Fi networks should be as safe and easy to access as cellular networks. Some of the base specifications for network discovery (IEEE 802.11u), authentication (IEEE 802.1x), and security (IEEE 802.11i) were well underway. The cellular example of using SIM cards for user identification and using roaming hubs for inter-carrier negotiation and billing were then applied and the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) specification for Hotspot 2.0 was a result.
The trials also represent a historic cooperation between the WBA, WFA, and GSMA. The WFA will hold a series of test events that will allow vendors to test and certify against the specification, and the WBA will carry out the trials in operator networks. Twenty-seven operators, vendors and roaming hubs have signed up for the trials. The trial results will be provided to the GSMA for harmonization with 3GPP standards.
Tags: 3GPP, mobile internet, move, next generation hotspot, Service Provider, service provider wi-fi, WBA, WFA, wi-fi, wi-fi alliance, wireless broadband alliance
