MIDDLETOWN – Towerstream Corp. announced Thursday that its Manhattan Wi-Fi network is one of the first networks to earn a “Next Generation Hotspot” certification from the Wireless Broadband Alliance’s interoperability compliance program.
“The WBA’s ICP is a crucial step toward end users having seamless integration between 3G/LTE networks and reliable high capacity Wi-Fi networks,” Towerstream’s Vice President of Engineering and Operations Arthur Giftakis said in a statement. “Towerstream engineering has been working closely with the WBA team, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results.”
According to a Towerstream release, the ICP outlines a set of Wi-Fi guidelines for mobile operators in order to standardize the way devices connect to and roam onto Wi-Fi networks. Guidelines include security, data offload, device authentication, network implementation, charging models and billing mechanisms.
“With the WBA’s Next Generation Hotspot, Wi-Fi networks will become seamlessly integrated into the mobile lifestyle and greatly enhance the user experience,” Jeff Thompson, CEO of Towerstream, said in prepared remarks.
“This tremendous step to integrate Wi-Fi into heterogeneous networks and mobile networks offers carriers a new opportunity and possible new revenue streams. We continue to applaud the WBA for their tremendous leadership in setting the path forward to a better connected world,” said Thompson.
