TNS Preps Next-Gen Wi-Fi Hotspot Solution

Transaction Network Services (TNS) has given a preview of its new automatic Wi-Fi roaming solution, which is based on wireless technology from Cisco and will help enable subscribers to obtain data services with a high level of security using over 600,000 commercial hotspots around the world.

The solution, called Next Generation HotSpot, makes Wi-Fi a trusted network in a cellular operator’s Radio Access Network (RAN), and is based on the Next Generation HotSpot industry program at the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA). It was demonstrated at the WBA conference in Paris last month.

Next Generation HotSpot will help mobile operators serve the exponential increase in subscribers’ use of Internet services by using Wi-Fi as an efficient extension of proprietary cellular networks.??

Dan Dooley, president of TNS’ Telecommunication Services Division, said in a statement: “Our new end-to-end solution, working in co-operation with Cisco and the WBA, will enable mobile operators to take advantage of the global Wi-Fi footprint without having to change any critical interfaces or authentication, billing and roaming processes. Until now, the use of Wi-Fi has been severely limited with subscribers forced to manually discover, select and access each hotspot, while operators lacked visibility into which users were roaming onto Wi-Fi.”