Working Toward Roaming For Wireless ISPs

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?"

Comments

Wireless ISP's problem with this

[rkz]

The real problem with roaming and Wi-Fi lies with customers who try to cheat the system.

I could quite easily open an account with the cheapest wISP I could find (say the caniadian one so I can save because of the exchange rate) then use a local wISP for access.

This is quite bad for wISP as they would introduce free market competition where they once held a monopoly.

The only was I can see this working is that if you are roming you have a limited service, say access to only port 80. Which would stop people from trying to abuse the roming system.