New standards will soon make getting from a carrier's 3G or 4G network onto a Wi-Fi network a seamless and easy process. But carriers large and small still have to get comfortable with that.
Soon wireless subscribers won't even have to think about signing on to a Wi-Fi hot spot. New standards that will be included in the latest generation of products will take the headache out of Wi-Fi.
Millions of wireless customers access public Wi-Fi hot spots every day. Some people get free access to Wi-Fi through their mobile operator and use the networks to avoid going over their data caps. Others subscribe to Wi-Fi services to get access to higher-speed data wherever it's available. Whether you use free Wi-Fi or you subscribe to a service, getting on to whatever Wi-Fi network you are using is not always a simple and easy process. Often you have to search for a hot spot. Then you have to sign in with a username and password. And if it's a paid hot spot, you have to enter payment credentials.
Now thanks to new technical and roaming standards that have been developed by the wireless industry, wireless users will soon be able to avoid these nuisances. From here on, accessing a Wi-Fi network will be an easy and seamless experience for consumers.
"Seamless connectivity to Wi-Fi is almost here," said Derek Peterson, senior vice president of engineering for Boingo Wireless, a company that provides a subscription-based service accessing Wi-Fi networks around the world. "What we have right now is not a good experience. And the new standards move us beyond that. And it makes for a great user experience."
Read more at source: Ending the headaches of Wi-Fi | Mobile - CNET News