Wi-Fi Mobile Convergence: The Role of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED

Wi-Fi Mobile Convergence (WMC) presents mobile carriers with a unique opportunity. It allows them to offer advanced new services to their subscribers, lowering churn and increasing average revenue per user, while increasing network capacity and coverage, and improving spectrum management. Subscribers will also benefit from convergence as it brings broadband connectivity and seamless coverage to their handsets, and gives them the convenience of a single handset and lower costs. Convergence capitalizes on a widespread Wi-Fi infrastructure (millions of homes, offices and hotspots worldwide) and the affordability and versatility of the technology.

WMC devices include phones, smartphones, and other mobile terminals with both cellular and Wi-Fi interfaces, designed to access either network with ease, automatically selecting the best available network at each location. Support for handover may allow devices to switch between air interfaces without dropping a voice call.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has managed a very successful certification program since 2000 that supports end users with out-of-the-box interoperability among vendors. Initially it was geared towards data applications in laptops, but with the increased range of devices and applications, Wi-Fi certification has been extended to include programs that support the functionality required by WMC devices, such as Quality of Service (QoS) with Wi-Fi Multi-MediaTM (WMMTM), power saving with WMM Power Save, and security with Wi-Fi Protected Access 2TM (WPA2TM) and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP).

A comprehensive certification initiative for converged devices, developed exclusively to meet the requirements of WMC devices and to simplify their certification process, is planned for release later in 2006.

Prior to April 2006, the Wi-Fi Alliance certified more than 20 converged handsets via its Application Specific Device (ASD) program, which was developed to accommodate Wi-Fi enabled devices that lack a traditional PC operating system and uses customized test plans, developed by the manufacturer in conjunction with the Wi-Fi Alliance.

The success of WMC devices will be further strengthened by collaborative relationships between the Wi-Fi and the cellular industries on issues such as handover, radio performance, power consumption, interference, and roaming that affect both the cellular and the Wi-Fi infrastructure. The Wi-Fi Alliance is committed to establishing liaison relationships with cellular associations and standards bodies and to continuing its current collaboration with the Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance (FMCA), the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) and the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA).

Downloadable File

Wi-Fi Mobile Convergence: The Role of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED