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Automatic Wi-Fi Offloading Coming To U.S. Carriers

2011-04-23 - 05:18 GMT


Automatic Wi-Fi Offloading Coming To U.S. Carriers

It would seem there is a relatively simple solution to the wireless data deluge faced by mobile operators: shift the traffic that is tying up their networks to Wi-Fi hotspots whenever possible.

This is not a radical idea. Over the years, T-Mobile USA has launched several programs with similar objectives. Consumers with Wi-Fi-enabled phones can sometimes do this switchover themselves. But most carriers have not instituted automatic traffic offloads between their networks and Wi-Fi due to the complexity of building such a system. And many consumers dont take the time and effort to move between 3G/4G and Wi-Fi, even when they know Wi-Fi is available and represents a cheaper alternative to cell connections.

The boom in smartphones and bandwidth-heavy mobile video is changing all this. Forbes has learned that three of the four largest U.S. carriers are testing technology from Tel Aviv-based startup WeFi that lets them point subscribers smartphones to private and public Wi-Fi networks whenever practical. If the operators formally adopt the program, as WeFi anticipates, consumers should see a change in the way their handsets navigate networks. That, in turn, should translate into savings in the number of data bytes consumers use and, thus, in the amount they pay their carriers each month — particularly given the recent trend toward tiered rather than unlimited data plans.

The system is called WeANDSF – a clunky acronym that combines WeFis name with the words Access Network Discovery and Selection Function. It consists of three parts: a software client for consumers phones, a global database of Wi-Fi networks and a control panel that operators can use to specify how, when and where devices on their networks should connect to outside Wi-Fi.

Operators can, for instance, decide that their subscribers should automatically move to Wi-Fi if they are nearing their monthly data quotas or are in range of familiar, secure Wi-Fi networks, such as when theyre at home or in the office. The system pulls the necessary location and connection data from WeFis Wi-Fi database, which has mapped 90 million hotspots around the world, and talks to software on users devices to set the offloading in motion.

WeFi Chief Executive Zur Feldman says the handover should be seamless, removing the need to scan available networks and manually log in to them. The transition will also be transparent. WeFis phone software will include a meter that shows how much bandwidth a user has consumed and indicate whether the device is currently connected to 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi. While WeFis software is primarily targeted at phones, it could also be used on other mobile devices, such as tablets.

By freeing up scarce bandwidth, the setup has the potential to benefit both operators and consumers. Less congested networks should help carriers retain customers and decrease their operating costs, says Feldman. Consumers, meanwhile, should enjoy faster connections and lower service fees. After all, if carriers are saving money, they should pass the savings along to their customers, Feldman notes. Consumers may also object to their activity being shifted to Wi-Fi. In that case, carriers will need to offer discounts to entice consumers to accept the idea, adds Feldman.

The three U.S. carriers, which appear to be AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA, though Feldman would not confirm the exact names, could roll out this feature in the next few months. Feldman says the carriers have been testing the technology for the past year.

WeFi is also shopping the WeANDSF system to operators outside the U.S. T-Mobiles parent, Deutsche Telekom, is one large carrier that is trialing it. Feldman says East Asian operators have also expressed interest in the technology.







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