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Canadian Telcos Agree on WiFi Hotspot Standard

Posted by michael on from the yay-canada dept.

Jucius Maximus writes "As reported by Globetechnology, Canada's cellphone providers have agreed to create a common standard for their subscribers to connect to the Internet via public "hot-spots." The agreement became necessary because Canada's cellphone providers offer four different and incompatible connection technologies. The carriers will continue to vigorously compete with each other, both for customers and Wi-Fi hotspot locations, the CWTA said in a statement."

4 of 84 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What an apt name! by Eric+Ass+Raymond · · Score: 4, Informative
    Ever taken a look at the frequency the cell phones use? The energy these photons carry is nowhere near the limits required to disrupt the molecular bonds in DNA (which is the cause of the "radiation sickness" including the radiation induced cancer).

    It doesn't matter how intense the radiation is if the energy carried by the photons does not cross the threshold of actually doing something.

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    BOO! TERRO
  2. Nothing new by JohanV · · Score: 3, Informative

    European NRENs are already doing this on an international scale. With credentials from participating local university students and employees can already log on to the WiFi hotspots of other participating universities and research institutions in both their own and other countries.
    The authentication mechanism is based on IEEE 802.1x and uses a RADIUS backend to enable cross domain authentication. Currently this is in operation (machine translation) between the Netherlands, Portugal and England, and Croatia is next.

    SURFnet is also working (machine translation) with local hotspot operators in the Netherlands to make sure Dutch students can roam their networks as well. Initially this will offered as a free service fro students.

  3. Text messaging already interoperates by Hamster+Lover · · Score: 2, Informative

    Nearly two years ago the Canadian cell companies got together and created a text message centre to allow interoperation of their text messaging services. Now, I can message a Telus, Fido or Rogers customer from anyone of the competing services.

    The Wi-Fi move is just another logical step. We have three competing national companies in a market that really only seems able to support two profitably. This is a reality of a country with a small population covering a large geographic area.

  4. Canada is second in the World I'll have you know by Hal+The+Computer · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually, we're second in the world for broadband per capita. Even though we're also the second largest country in the world.

    Betcha didn't know that, eh? ;-)

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    int main(void){int x=01232;while(malloc(x));return x;}