Together Comfone and Accuris Networks announce successful EAP authentication trial on WISPr based WiFi networks

Upcoming WBA specification on WISPr 2.0 will help create a completely new scope to WiFi roaming and its convergence with other technologies such as WiMAX or LTE

Bern, Switzerland, 6 April, 2010 - Comfone, provider of roaming services to more than 300 operators in over 130 countries, and Accuris Networks, a leading provider of roaming and convergence solutions, today announced that they have successfully completed implementation of an end-to-end demonstrator for EAP-SIM and EAP-AKA authentication on WISPr based WiFi networks.

Today, access to public WiFi services is predominantly based on username/password authentication. Extensible Authentication Protocols or EAP-based authentication, a generic protocol standardised by the International Engineering Taskforce (IETF), offers more comprehensive authentication methods that include SIM card and security certificates. However, the use of EAP is limited to WiFi networks that have deployed an 802.1x network and this is a minority of the current deployed WiFi networks worldwide.

To overcome the need for the deployment of an overlay 802.1x network in order to achieve EAP authentication, Comfone and Accuris Networks began testing a solution based on the EAP over HTTP mechanism specified in the latest draft of WISPr 2.0, an upcoming Wireless Broadband Alliance specification. EAP over WISPr (Wireless Internet Service Provider roaming) aims at providing a middle step that allows EAP authentication by extending the current WISPr architecture allowing users to roam between wireless internet service providers.

“Data heavy 3G and Mobile Broadband applications are putting increased pressure on mobile operators,” commented Gilbert Little, Chairman of Accuris Networks. “By using WiFi Offload, operators can cost-effectively meet the growing demand for bandwidth while providing customers with high speeds.” He said that this standards-based approach to automating WiFi offload helps to increase adoption beyond today’s proprietary solutions. “Most importantly, this ensures that mobile operators keep control of their subscribers when they are on WiFi networks. This means they can continue to deliver their services rather than lose out to over-the-top service providers.”

With the rapid growth in WiFi hotspots and dual mode (3G/WiFi) devices, the ability to provide simple, secure and seamless mobile wireless broadband connectivity is becoming important across the globe. EAP authentication on WISPr based WiFi networks will further drive wireless broadband service adoption throughout the world which will benefit all mobile users. Shrikant Shenwai, CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, commented that, “WBA has created WISPr 2.0 to address the above mentioned industry need. We have seen strong interest and participation by WBA members in the WISPr 2.0 project and the final specification has just been approved for public release. I am delighted to see that operators and vendors alike are enthusiastic about WISPr 2.0 and a technical trial open to all ecosystem players is already being planned by the WBA to bring this technology out into the field“.

About Comfone
Comfone, provider of roaming services to over 300 operators in over 130 countries worldwide, is known throughout the telecoms industry as an international mobile roaming specialist. Comfone's industry know-how owes to over ten years of experience and customer-orientated in-house expertise.
Through its unique portfolio and additional value added services, Comfone fully optimises the setting up of each operator's roaming processes, facilitating the opportunity of reducing overall costs. The portfolio ranges from complete outsourcing of roaming to individual elements, such as signalling, data, convergence, clearing and WLAN services. Comfone's pioneering hub solutions, such as WeRoam, provide mobile operators with worldwide coverage, interconnection and clearing through only one agreement with Comfone and one connection to Comfone's central platform.
Comfone's active participation in GSMA Working groups, the WiMAX Forum and the Wireless Broadband Alliance ensures that its innovative solutions are market-driven. From Comfone's headquarters in Switzerland and regional offices covering Northern and Eastern Europe, Latin America, North America, Central Asia and Asia Pacific, Comfone is well placed to support and meet the requirements of its substantial worldwide customer base. Learn more about Comfone at www.comfone.com

About Accuris Networks
Accuris Networks is a leading provider of Roaming Inter-Working and Convergence solutions. Established in 1997, Accuris Networks is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with offices in the United States and Malaysia. Led by a team with unrivalled experience in service convergence and service continuity.
Accuris Network’s flagship product, AccuROAM enables data offload to WiFi and WiMAX using secure SIM-based authentication with existing mobile networks. It includes full billing, settlement and reconciliation between the IP-based network and the mobile billing environment. Learn more about us at www.accuris-networks.com

About Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA)
The Wireless Broadband Alliance (“WBA”) was founded in 2003 by leading telecom operators. Its goal is to drive wireless broadband adoption globally by developing common commercial and technical frameworks for interoperability across networks, technologies and devices. It helps its members to deliver quality services with consistent customer experience and reliability to the users worldwide.
The WBA members have successfully implemented commercial Wi-Fi roaming globally using WBA WRIX (Wireless Roaming Intermediary eXchange), an award winning modularised standard service specification developed by WBA. The WBA WRIX makes it easier to implement roaming between WBA members and reduces time to market for new operators interested in expanding global roaming footprint. The WBA is also collaborating with other industry forums to further enhance WRIX and help harmonize wireless broadband roaming standards including support for Dual Mode devices and WIMAX roaming.
The WBA include pioneers in the wireless broadband field and its 36 members include leading operators offering wireless services across Wi-Fi, WiMAX and Mobile broadband networks and roaming providers. Collectively, the WBA members operate around 90,000 Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide and have a pool of more than 230 million subscribers across Europe & Middle East, Asia Pacific and Americas. www.wballiance.net