Spain becomes the latest country to join push for global Wi-Fi roaming, delivering a seamless and secure roaming internet experience with WBA OpenRoaming™
Users in Port of Barcelona, Port Vell, Barceloneta Beach and Palma de Mallorca City among the first to benefit, with 18 more cities to follow
Cisco aid in deployment with local “smart destination” specialists WIONGO to operate
London, 21st Oct 2020 – The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) today announced that major destinations in Spain will be the latest to join a globally available Wi-Fi community that offers secure, automatic and friction-free internet access for billions of devices.
WBA OpenRoamingTM sets a new global standard for public access Wi-Fi, removing barriers to connectivity while bringing greater convenience and security to the Wi-Fi ecosystem. Users will no longer need to search for Wi-Fi networks, repeatedly enter their login details, or constantly re-register to access public Wi-Fi.
Deployed by Cisco Meraki, and operated by smart city network specialists, WIONGO, access will be rolled out in Port Vell, Port of Barcelona, Barceloneta Beach and Palma de Mallorca City at midnight on October 20. Another 18 major city destinations are set to follow, including Benidorm, Salou, Gandia, Cullera, Port of Palma, and Playa de Palma, the busiest tourist beach in Europe with 5.5km of WI-FI coverage. Once WBA OpenRoaming is deployed, users will simply need to access their city’s SmartWiFi network and connect to SSiD “WIONGO_OpenRoaming” to enjoy a seamless internet connection.
WIONGO, an industry leader with 20 years of experience in Wi-Fi services and SmartCity development in the region, is the latest operator to join the OpenRoaming global federation, a new initiative to connect billions of users and devices to millions of Wi-Fi networks around the world. Like many operators in the federation, WIONGO will adopt a sponsorship model to offer completely free internet access to consumers, tourists and local residents.
Mauricio Socias, Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of WIONGO, commented: “The SmartCity concept is more important today than ever before. It must obey the maxim of making life easier, safer, more efficient and better connected. OpenRoaming helps us reach several of these key milestones, massively enhancing the city experience for tourists, consumers and residents alike.”
WIONGO currently sees more than 20 million unique devices connecting to its networks annually, across more than 300 deployments. These deployments are networked together with seamless coverage made possible by Cisco Meraki access points, including new Wi-Fi 6 technology.
Matt MacPherson, Wireless CTO at Cisco, said: “Cisco is excited to partner with WIONGO and the WBA on this project. As well as transforming the public Wi-Fi experience for users, WBA OpenRoaming is having a revolutionary impact on the service provider industry as a whole, providing operators, venues and retailers with new business opportunities. This is a great example of how students, shoppers, residents, employees – and everybody in between – will be able to enjoy secure, easily accessible Wi-Fi with zero friction wherever they go.”
WBA OpenRoaming is unique in the way that it simplifies the Wi-Fi experience, matching the convenience and coverage of most cellular networks, but with more reliability, security and often greater speed. When combining the simplified connectivity of OpenRoaming with Wi-Fi 6 technology, users are able to experience up to four times greater speeds.
WBA CEO Tiago Rodrigues announced earlier this year that WBA OpenRoaming was “open for business” and, welcoming WIONGO into the federation, he commented: “We’ve opened the doors to venues, vendors and operators around the world, and we’re delighted with the take-up so far. Not only does OpenRoaming make life easier for consumers, visitors and residents, it also creates valuable new business opportunities for any operator, venue or retailer looking to develop its Wi-Fi services. From enterprises to coffee shops, concert venues to connected cars, WBA OpenRoaming creates a world where Wi-Fi users move from one network to another without needing to constantly re-register or sign-in.”
Members of the WBA supporting the new standards set by OpenRoaming include AT&T, Boingo Wireless, Broadcom Inc, Cisco, Comcast, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Samsung, Google Hub One, and more. Companies, such as WIONGO, that join WBA OpenRoaming are included in a federation of identity and network providers in order to help maintain global standards and shape the future of global Wi-Fi.
To join or for more information, visit https://wballiance.com/openroaming/
About the Wireless Broadband Alliance
Founded in 2003, the vision of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) is to drive seamless, interoperable service experiences via Wi-Fi within the global wireless ecosystem. WBA’s mission is to enable collaboration between service providers, technology companies and organizations to achieve that vision. WBA undertakes programs and activities to address business and technical issues, as well as opportunities, for member companies.
WBA work areas include advocacy, industry guidelines, trials and certification. Its key programs include NextGen Wi-Fi, 5G, IoT, Testing & Interoperability, Roaming and Policy & Regulatory Affairs, with member-led Work Groups dedicated to resolving standards and technical issues to promote end-to-end services and accelerate business opportunities. WBA’s membership is comprised of major operators, identity providers and leading technology companies, including BAI Communications, BSNL, Commscope. Facebook, HPE Aruba, Huawei, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Rogers, Samsung, Shaw, Swisscom, Softbank, Telstra, Telus and T-Mobile US.
The WBA Board includes AT&T, Boingo Wireless, Broadcom, BT, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Deutsche Telekom, GlobalReach Technology, Google, Intel, KT Corporation, Reliance Jio and SK Telecom. For a complete list of current WBA members, click here.
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