Leading Roaming Providers, WiMax & WiFi Operators Join WBA to Expand Global Roaming Across Technologies

The Wireless Broadband Alliance ("WBA"), a pioneer in global Wireless Broadband roaming for public Wi-Fi networks, announced on its 5th anniversary that 11 new members including leading roaming providers, WiMAX Operators and Wi-Fi Operators from across Asia Pacific, Americas, Europe and Africa have joined its folds. With these new members, the WBA aims to help customers enjoy increased roaming opportunities globally, across technologies, networks and devices.

The new WiMAX operator members of WBA offering public Wi-Fi services include FREEDOM4 (UK), NOMAD (Mauritius), Unwired (Australia) and YTLE (Malaysia). The other new members include leading Roaming Providers - Comfone, iPass, MACH, Quiconnect, Syniverse and Verisign who bring with them extensive roaming experience and knowledge into WBA to allow interoperability across technologies, devices and network. In addition, Connection Services, who provides services such as global hotspot directory has also joined WBA.

With the addition of new members, the WBA membership has boosted significantly during this year from an initial 26 to 38. It now includes a unique mix of leading roaming providers and operators offering wireless services across Wi-Fi, WiMAX and Mobile broadband networks.

"Internet roaming across various wireless broadband technologies has been a key focus area for WBA. The WiMAX technology is fast catching up and is soon expected to be embedded in devices like laptops and mobile phones. Similarly with proliferation of dual mode Mobile and Wi-Fi devices, our effort is to facilitate seamless authentication and roaming across multiple devices and networks. A rapidly expanding membership and ongoing collaboration projects with other industry bodies will help WBA to work closely with the wider industry ecosystem to help existing members address the growing demand from end-users for seamless wireless broadband services." said Mr. Prateek Pashine, Chair of WBA.

About WBA
Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) is now into its fifth year of operation, it was created to drive the adoption of wireless broadband technologies and services around the world by developing a common commercial, technical and marketing framework for wireless network interoperability. Its goal is to develop a global alliance of wireless providers that can truly deliver services that provide a consistent customer experience and reliability for wireless broadband users worldwide.

One of the key achievements of the WBA has been to drive commercial Wi-Fi roaming globally by developing WBA WRIX (Wireless Roaming Intermediary Exchange), a modularised standard service specification that won the Wireless Broadband Innovation 2007 award in the Best Wi-Fi Product / Service segment. This standard makes it easier to implement roaming between WBA members and reduces time to market for new operators interested in expanding global roaming footprint. It allows the end-customers around the world to enjoy consistent user experience while roaming globally.

The WBA is also actively collaborating with other alliances and forums to help harmonize wireless broadband roaming standards including those for support Dual Mode devices and WIMAX roaming.

The Wireless Broadband Alliance has been formed by pioneers in the wireless broadband field. Its 38 members include leading operators offering wireless services across Wi-Fi, WiMAX and Mobile broadband networks and Roaming Providers. Collectively, the Wireless Broadband Alliance members operate over 85,000 Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide and have a pool of more than 230 million subscribers across Europe, Asia Pacific and Americas.
For more information, please visit www.wballiance.net

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Boingo Wireless Joins the Wireless Broadband Alliance
WBA Welcomes First Pure-Play Hotspot Operator to Global Roaming Alliance

LOS ANGELES -- Feb. 12, 2008 -- Boingo Wireless, which owns and operates Wi-Fi hotspots at some of the largest and busiest airports, today announced it has joined the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), an industry alliance of wireless broadband industry players that facilitates global Wi-Fi roaming amongst its members.  Boingo is the first pure-play hotspot operator to join WBA. 

“Boingo is one of the pioneers in hotspot business and the WBA board of directors is delighted to have them on-board as our latest General Member” said Julie Ragbourne, Chairperson of the WBA.  “This decision allows our members to benefit from the extremely valuable hotspot network owned by Boingo and aligns well with our strategy to continually expand global roaming footprint by adding new members who can help increase quality coverage and choices for end-customers”

Boingo operates Wi-Fi networks in 28 airports in North America and the United Kingdom, including Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports in the New York metropolitan area, as well as Chicago’s O’Hare and London’s Heathrow airports.  Boingo and other WBA members from across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific would be able to negotiate access to each others hotspots under WBA guidelines while providing Boingo an ability to use the award winning WBA WRIX (Wireless Roaming Intermediary Exchange) for accelerated roaming deployment with other WBA members. This further expands the collective footprint available to end-customers through WBA members, especially at the airport hotspots which are increasingly important as traveler demand surges for Wi-Fi broadband access.

“As the original Wi-Fi roaming enabler, Boingo fully endorses the WBA’s commitment to standardizing high-quality roaming among top-tier network operators” said Luis Serrano, Boingo’s vice president of network strategy.  “We look forward to furthering global roaming by working with other members of the WBA.”
Boingo brings deep experience in hotspot roaming integration and aggregation, including existing roaming agreements with 14 of the WBA’s 20 member companies, and expertise enabling Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices, such as dual-mode handsets, for Wi-Fi connectivity and roaming authentication.

About Boingo Wireless
Boingo Wireless, Inc. is the global market leader in Wi-Fi. Boingo makes it easy for consumers to enjoy Wi-Fi access on their laptop or mobile device at more than 100,000 hotspots worldwide -- including airports, hotels, cafes and metropolitan hot zones -- with a single account. Through its Concourse Communications Group, LLC subsidiary, Boingo operates wired and wireless networks at 20 of the top 100 North American airports. More information about Boingo and Concourse is available at http://www.boingo.com and http://www.concoursecommunications.com.

About the Wireless Broadband Alliance
Formed in March 2003, the Wireless Broadband Alliance was created to drive the adoption of wireless broadband technologies and services around the world by developing a common commercial, technical and marketing framework for wireless network interoperability. Its goal is to develop a global alliance of wireless providers that can truly deliver services that users can trust. It aims to provide a consistent customer experience and reliability for wireless broadband users worldwide. To facilitate commercial roaming implementations between its member operators, the alliance has developed WRIX (Wireless Roaming Intermediary Exchange), a modularised standard service specification that won the Wireless Broadband Innovation 2007 award in the Best Wi-Fi Product / Service segment.
The Wireless Broadband Alliance is formed by pioneers in the wireless broadband field, encompassing major players in the telecommunications field. Collectively, the Wireless Broadband Alliance operatesover 85,000 wireless hotspots across 26 service providers around the world.
For more information, please visit www.wballiance.net

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Wireless Broadband Alliance WINNERS of the WBI Awards 2007
Best WiFi Product or Service for the Wireless Roaming Intermediary eXchange (WRIX)

This award takes the Wireless Broadband Alliance a big step further to increase the awareness of WBA as organisation and the achievements of commercial Wireless Broadband Roaming.The WRIX or selected modules of the Wireless LAN Roaming implementation and day to day operations can be outsource for interconnection and the wholesale interface of any convergent broadband data services. The benefits of the WRIX for the wireless operators are: removal of multiple VPN connections with different configuration, multiple and different RADIUS configuration as well as a standardised method for mediation of RADIUS Accounting to Call Data Records which can be rated using all possible charging principles. Last but not least the financial settlement including invoicing is specified including support for revenue assurance according to SOX

About Wireless Broadband Innovations Award
The Wireless Broadband Innovation Awards is honouring the leading edge of innovation and achievement within the Wireless Broadband Market. WBI awards received over 170 qualified entries this year, with an excellent overall quality of entries among this years award categories reflecting all growth areas of wireless broadband, including WiMAX, VoIP, Security, Mobility and WiFi.Wireless Roaming Intermediary eXchange (WRIX) -WBA
This award takes the Wireless Broadband Alliance a big step further to increase the awareness of WBA as organisation and the achievements of commercial Wireless Broadband Roaming.The WRIX or selected modules of the Wireless LAN Roaming implementation and day to day operations can be outsource for interconnection and the wholesale interface of any convergent broadband data services.The benefits of the WRIX for the wireless operators are: removalof multiple VPN connections with different configuration, multiple and different RADIUS configuration as well as a standardised method for mediation of RADIUS Accounting to Call Data Records which can be rated using all possible charging principles. Last but not least the financial settlementincluding invoicing is specified including support for revenue assurance according to SOX.

The WRIX is a modularised Standard Service Specification for the interaction between operators implementing and operating Wireless LAN Roaming. The WRIX specifies the interfaces for Wireless LAN Roaming:

WRIX-i for Radius Interconnection
WRIX-d for Data Clearing (wholesale accounting)
WRIX-f for Financial Clearing (wholesale billing)

• Removes multiple VPN connections with different configurationsn
• Removes multiple and different RADIUS configurations
• Implements a standardised method for the mediation of RADIUS Accounting to CDRs which can be rated
• Implements a standardised wholesale rating of mediated RADIUS Accounting CDRs, supporting all possible charging principles (duration, volume, session and/or a mixture of these)
• Implements a standardised method to enable revenue assurance (SOX)
• Implements a standardised way of exchanging data for invoices, leading to fewer financial discrepancies

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