Wi-Fi roaming will make mobile operators connectivity providers

While mobile operators are increasingly relying on Wi-Fi to augment their cellular networks, it’s still a lesser tool in their toolbox. But in the coming year, Wi-Fi is going to play a more vital role for carriers turning operators from providers of cellular voice and data to purveyors of connectivity.

That’s the prediction of Bob Friday, the CTO of wireless for Cisco, who is helping push this vision along. Cisco is a major driver behind Hotspot 2.0, an initiative that will use 802.11u, WPA2-Enterprise and EAP-based authentication to create easy Wi-Fi roaming for devices looking to move from cellular networks onto Wi-Fi networks or between Wi-Fi networks. Essentially, it will bring the ease of cellular roaming to Wi-Fi. This kind of roaming, Friday said, will make Wi-Fi a much more versatile tool for wireless operators because it will greatly simplify the way people jump onto Wi-Fi networks. He said by automating the authentication process, tying user identity to a SIM card and making it seamless for users, their devices can easily shift over to Wi-Fi networks without having to enter in credentials. And that will help transfer the data traffic burden on to Wi-Fi while giving users a better experience indoors and at crowded venues.