We are here to drive seamless and interoperable service experiences via Wi-Fi
WBA undertakes programs and activities to address business and technical issues, as well as opportunities, for member companies in order to enable collaboration among service providers, technology companies, cities, venue partners and organizations. Our key programs include NextGen Wi-Fi, 5G, IoT, Testing & Interoperability and Roaming, with member-led Work Groups dedicated to resolving standards and technical issues to promote end-to-end services and accelerate business opportunities.
5G WORK GROUP
The objective of the 5G Work Group is to address business issues at a system level and develop 5G ecosystem related opportunities, spanning through different unlicensed wireless technologies.
NIGEL BIRD
Orange,
Chair
MARK GRAYSON
Cisco,
Co-Chair
FLORIN BABOESCU
Broadcom,
Co-Chair
NEXTGEN WORK GROUP
The objectives of the Next Gen Work are to drive industry engagements and address business opportunities that are transversally impactful to the Wi-Fi industry.
KISHORE RAJA
Boingo Wireless,
Chair
NECATI CANPOLAT
Intel Corp,
Co-Chair
STEVE DYETT
BT,
Co-Chair
TESTING & INTEROPERABILITY WORK GROUP
The objectives of the Testing & Interoperability Work Group are to improve customer experience on Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) networks by eliminating barriers (devices and infrastructure), execute end-to-end trials (and test plans if needed), e2e Interoperability, technology assessments which are relevant to successfully execute testing.
MICHAEL SYM
Single Digits,
Chair
ERINN HALL
AT&T,
Co-Chair
LUTHER SMITH
CableLabs,
Co-Chair
IOT WORK GROUP
The objectives of the IoT Work Group are to focus on the interoperability across different unlicensed technologies and radio access networks, demonstrating the value and opportunities with the expansion of Wi-Fi for new IoT use cases and applications.
DAN KLAEREN
Syniverse,
Chair
JAAP GROOT
Semtech,
Co-Chair
ROAMING WORK GROUP
The objectives of the Roaming Work Group are to stimulate the global deployment of WBA roaming programs and support the development and maintenance of technical enablers (specifications, guidelines, best practices, templates etc). This group is also responsible for maintaining WBA WRIX standards for Wi-Fi Roaming and collaboration with peer industry forums.
ERINN HALL
AT&T,
Chair
BETTY COCKRELL
Single Digits,
Co-Chair
MARKET WORK GROUP
The primary objective of the Market Work Group is to develop and align the various marketing activities (general marketing, events and thought-leadership) to serve the needs of WBA membership.
MELODY ECLAVEA
AT&T,
Chair
Policy & Regulatory Affairs Work Group
The objective of WBA’s Policy & Regulatory Affairs Work Group is to track global trends and relevant policy & spectrum issues that are of concern to the WBA membership. The Work Group will coordinate Wi-Fi advocacy efforts across membership, cities, regions, and regulators globally.
BURHAN MASOOD
Broadcom,
Chair
The Outstanding Leadership awards are presented to recognize the individuals who have made significant contributions to WBA projects and activities. They have successfully led work groups with impactful deliverables and have broadly engaged with the ecosystem peers to find synergies, cross-contribute and make bridges. Their unique status over the calendar year help driving seamless, interoperable service experience via Wi-Fi within the global wireless ecosystem. List of past winners are as follows:
Mark Hamilton
Mark Grayson
Necati Canpolat
Charlie Allgrove
Betty Cockrell
Dave Wright
Erinn Hall
Luther Smith
Michael Sym
Nigel Bird
Lifetime Achievement Award
Nigel Bird
Betty Cockrell
Erinn Hall
Nigel contributed his significant expertise and resources including as Chair of the WBA’s Business Work Group from 2010 – 2017 and the Chair of WBA’s 5G Work Group from 2017 – 2021. He played a significant role in planning and successfully executing our flagship Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) program has helped drive the adoption of Next Generation Wi-Fi technologies globally.
In addition, Nigel has also contributed actively to Carrier Wi-Fi, RADIUS-Diameter interworking and WRIX-N, which helped WBA accelerate the momentum for next-generation Wi-Fi and also attracted strong participation in WBA activities from across the ecosystem.
Betty Cockrell has brought exceptional leadership and expertise to the WBA since its inception in 2003. She served as Chair of the WBA’s Roaming Work Group and later the OpenRoaming Work Group, where her guidance was instrumental in driving forward the Alliance’s initiatives in Wi-Fi interconnection and global roaming.
Betty contributed extensively across more than 13 technical programs and played a leading role in the creation, development, and maintenance of the Wireless Roaming Intermediary eXchange (WRIX) documentation framework, which has served as the foundation for best-in-class Wi-Fi roaming practices across the industry. Her efforts have shaped the way operators implement secure and seamless roaming on a global scale.
Erinn Hall has been a cornerstone of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) community for over a decade since 2013, serving as Chair of the Roaming Work Group and as Co-Chair of the Testing & Interoperability Work Group. In these roles, she has played a decisive part in shaping the evolution of Wi-Fi roaming and strengthening the foundations of global interoperability across the industry.
Her most notable contributions include instrumental work in the development of the WRIX standard, the WBAID framework, and the Interoperability Compliance Program, alongside deep and sustained involvement in a wide range of other WBA technical initiatives. Through this work, Erinn has helped enable more secure, consistent, and scalable approaches to Wi-Fi roaming worldwide.
Beyond her formal roles, Erinn is widely recognized for her rigor, collaborative leadership style, and distinctive sense of humor. These qualities have consistently fostered strong engagement across the Alliance and elevated the quality and cohesion of the work delivered. Her leadership and dedication have left a lasting and meaningful impact on both the WBA and the broader Wi-Fi ecosystem.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Nigel Bird
Nigel contributed his significant expertise and resources including as Chair of the WBA’s Business Work Group from 2010 – 2017 and the Chair of WBA’s 5G Work Group from 2017 – 2021. He played a significant role in planning and successfully executing our flagship Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) program has helped drive the adoption of Next Generation Wi-Fi technologies globally.
In addition, Nigel has also contributed actively to Carrier Wi-Fi, RADIUS-Diameter interworking and WRIX-N, which helped WBA accelerate the momentum for next-generation Wi-Fi and also attracted strong participation in WBA activities from across the ecosystem.
Betty Cockrell
Betty Cockrell has brought exceptional leadership and expertise to the WBA since its inception in 2003. She served as Chair of the WBA’s Roaming Work Group and later the OpenRoaming Work Group, where her guidance was instrumental in driving forward the Alliance’s initiatives in Wi-Fi interconnection and global roaming.
Betty played a leading role in the creation, development, and maintenance of the Wireless Roaming Intermediary eXchange (WRIX) documentation framework, which has served as the foundation for best-in-class Wi-Fi roaming practices across the industry. She also contributed extensively across more than 13 technical programs Her efforts have shaped the way operators implement secure and seamless roaming on a global scale.
Erinn Hall
Erinn Hall has been a cornerstone of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) community for over a decade since 2013, serving as Chair of the Roaming Work Group and as Co-Chair of the Testing & Interoperability Work Group. In these roles, she has played a decisive part in shaping the evolution of Wi-Fi roaming and strengthening the foundations of global interoperability across the industry.
Her most notable contributions include instrumental work in the development of the WRIX standard, the WBAID framework, and the Interoperability Compliance Program, alongside deep and sustained involvement in a wide range of other WBA technical initiatives. Through this work, Erinn has helped enable more secure, consistent, and scalable approaches to Wi-Fi roaming worldwide.
Beyond her formal roles, Erinn is widely recognized for her rigor, collaborative leadership style, and distinctive sense of humor. These qualities have consistently fostered strong engagement across the Alliance and elevated the quality and cohesion of the work delivered. Her leadership and dedication have left a lasting and meaningful impact on both the WBA and the broader Wi-Fi ecosystem.
