New WLAN Roaming Group Set Up

Five WLAN public access service providers (Wayport, Tele2, Wificom, Fatport and Open Point Networks) and five WLAN vendors (Symbol, Nomadix, Funk Software, Service Factory and TSI) are setting up an association to boost the WLAN hotspot business and to promote one global service mark. A key success factor of the public WLAN hotspot industry will be to offer a network, substantially large enough to be attractive to the end-user.

The most cost-effective way of expanding the network of hotspots is for the WISPs to offer roaming with other WISP networks. This requires an industry agreement on service levels and on authentication technology, which are the main obstacles WISPs have to face when wanting to offer roaming. Therefore the operational WISPs and GSM cellular carriers have decided to create a central entity that provides these required standards and at the same time offers consolidated administrative services to all Member WISPs.

The association will certify its members by providing a single global service mark. Similar to the credit card industry, WISP members will be able to use the Pass-One global service mark as recognition tool for the end-users. The founding members are developing a "live" roaming environment, which will be the basis of the industry standard on roaming.'"

Posted to the site on 1st May 2002