As a member of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, Itaú will be able to develop new connectivity solutions, working together with the largest technology companies in the world.
London, UK, February 15, 2024 — The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), the global organization that connects people with the latest Wi-Fi initiatives has today announced Itaú Unibanco, the largest bank in Latin America, as the first bank to become a member of the organization. The WBA brings together some of the largest technology and telecommunications companies in the world, with the aim of promoting connectivity and jointly developing innovations in mobile technologies, including standards and solutions related to Wi-Fi, 5G convergence, Internet of Things and OpenRoaming.
As a member of the WBA, Itaú will have access to discussions on the latest trends in mobile connectivity and will contribute to the expertise already built as a reference in telecommunications in the Brazilian market. The bank will also be able to develop and test new solutions in partnership with companies from different countries, helping to further promote the connectivity market across the country.
Fábio Napoli, Director of Technology at Itaú Unibanco, said: “We have experienced the great potential that new telecommunications technologies have to improve customer experience and Itaú’s operations. We were pioneers in implementing the first bank branch in Brazil connected to 5G, in 2021, and expanded this new connectivity standard to around 100 branches throughout 2022. In 2023, we became the first financial institution in the country to carry out connection tests with the Starlink network at a branch. Now, as the first bank in the world to join WBA, we want to continue leveraging the evolution of connectivity to offer our customers the most advanced connections, and already have new launches planned for the first half of this year.”
Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, added: “We are delighted to welcome Itaú Unibanco to join the Wireless Broadband Alliance – the first financial institution to do so. Itaú’s intention is to enhance its services with connectivity solutions, such as OpenRoaming for its customers and to continue to develop capabilities to support its own business making them an ideal member of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, where cross company collaboration can open up new opportunities and solve key technology challenges. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Itaú Unibanco.”
About Itaú Unibanco
Itaú Unibanco’s purpose is to promote people’s power of transformation and we do it through a strategic agenda focused on client centricity and digital transformation, based also on the diversity of our people. The largest bank in Latin America, Itaú Unibanco is present in 18 countries and has more than 70 million customers, among individuals and companies in all segments, to whom we offer the best experiences in financial products and services. Itaú Unibanco has been selected for the 24st consecutive time to be part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), being the only Latin American financial institution to be part of the index since its creation in 1999. www.itau.com.br
About the Wireless Broadband Alliance
Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) is the global organization that connects people with the latest Wi-Fi initiatives. Founded in 2003, the vision of the 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, cities, regulators and organizations to achieve that vision.
WBA undertakes programs and activities to address business and technical challenges, while exploring opportunities for its member companies. These initiatives encompass standards development, industry guidelines, trials, certification, and advocacy. Its key programs include NextGen Wi-Fi, OpenRoaming, 5G, IoT, Smart Cities, Testing & Interoperability 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.
Membership in the WBA includes major operators, service providers, enterprises, hardware and software vendors, and other prominent companies that support the ecosystems from around the world. The WBA Board comprises influential organizations such as Airties, AT&T, Boingo Wireless, Boldyn Networks Broadcom, BT, Cisco Systems, Comcast, HFCL, Intel, Reliance Jio, Telecom Deutschland, Turk Telekom and Viasat.
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