Enabling seamless roaming between 3G and Wi-Fi networks
PCCW showcased the Next Generation Hotspot technology during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. More than 50,000 senior mobile industry leaders from 200 countries who attend the Congress witnessed the power of the technology which enables seamless roaming between 3G and Wi-Fi networks.
The demonstration held at the Cisco exhibition booth at the Congress between February 14 and 17. The Next Generation Hotspot technology rides on IEEE 802.11u and 802.1x specifications in conjunction with Cisco’s Wi-Fi equipment technology, Aicent’s Wi-Fi roaming connectivity and PCCW’s state-of-the-art EAP-SIM authentication infrastructure that was showcased on an 802.11u enabled Samsung Galaxy S smartphone.
Mr. Richard Midgett, PCCW’s Managing Director of Wireless Business, said, “PCCW is pleased to have partnered with Cisco for more than three years on successful commercial operations of Wi-Fi network offloading using their advanced Mobile IP, EAP-SIM authentication and authorization solution. This has enabled PCCW to provide seamless roaming between our 3G and Wi-Fi networks and offer customers an unparalleled data network access experience. This long-term partnership has been instrumental in the development of one of the first data-offloading infrastructures in the world and has evolved into a powerful pioneering force in the development and application of the most advanced Wi-Fi technology in the market.”
He added, “The advanced Next Generation Hotspot technology is the first of its kind in the industry which enables our 3G mobile customers to enjoy seamless international roaming on partnered Wi-Fi networks in overseas countries. Equally, this technology also opens up our Wi-Fi services more effectively for ease of use by inbound visitors. It provides faster Wi-Fi network discovery and selection, enables the device to logon automatically and provides secure access to partnered Wi-Fi networks.”
PCCW has been operating its Wi-Fi offloading solution in its Hong Kong networks for more than three years. This seamless connectivity between its 3G and Wi-Fi networks enables customers to enjoy the Company’s innovative multimedia services, including live streaming of video and music which demand substantial network capacity, anytime anywhere. With its leadership and experience, PCCW is eminently placed to serve the needs of fast expanding customers using smartphones and tablets.
