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Working Toward Roaming For Wireless ISPs

Posted by timothy on from the alert-flickenger dept.

hrhsoleil writes "In the category of: This seems like a no-brainer and why-didn't-someone-do-it-before, according to SearchMobileComputing, the Internet Protocol Detail Record Organization (IPDR) is pushing a set of specifications that would allow users to roam among different providers' hot spots. IPDR is an industry group that addresses billing issues for wireless carriers -- they've got the Wi-Fi Alliance, Gric Communications, and the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association backing them up on this one so it might actually get off the ground. It's about time that wireless ISPs get their act together and make roaming possible. If I can go to almost any bank machine in the world and be able to use it without needing to sign up for a new account, why can't I do the same with hot spots?"

3 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. Watch out for those patents by louissypher · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Its a great idea, but as in the case of every good idea, its already being done, and has a patent.

    see:

    6,633,761
    6,665,537

    Probably more but I'm too lazy to look.

    --
    www.bleepyou.com
  2. WiFi roaming is reality already by JohanV · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Granted, without the billing (because they feel that internet access should be free for their community), but many Dutch universities and research institutions together with SURFnet (the National Research and Education Network) have developed a roaming solution already. Based on IEEE 802.1x, EAP-TTLS and RADIUS it allows for seemless roaming between the participants.
    This WiFi roaming has recently been extended and now institutions in Portugal and Croatia are joining as wel.

  3. Free is the way to go here. by matt_morgan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As the founder of a free community hotspot , I wanna say, if giant corporations are willing to provide web services for free, because it's the only way to get people to come, why wouldn't we want to provide wireless access to those web services for free?

    Basically, I don't see that the pay-to-play model of the wired ISP is the necessary model for wireless ISPs. In fact I think it's a doomed model. People are going to gravitate to the free hookups. It's not just cheaper, it's easier, and easier always wins.

    It's not time to figure out how to get roaming on paid wireless ISPs. It's time to figure out how to stop charging for it.