In a brand new WBA report, 81% of respondents mentioned they’re planning to deploy Wi-Fi OpenRoaming
In line with a new report from the Wi-fi Broadband Alliance (WBA), 81% of the 170 respondents are planning to deploy OpenRoaming, an 18.9% improve on 2024. Of these, 25% have been already rolling out the know-how, 42% mentioned they’d deploy in 2025, with 27% planning for 2026. The comparatively new know-how, developed by Cisco and constructed upon a set of requirements and tips developed by the WBA and Wi-Fi Alliance, permits seamless and safe Wi-Fi onboarding.
A person can be part of any community managed by any supplier throughout the established trusted federation of suppliers. The community is then in a position to mechanically authenticate units by utilizing established identification suppliers, corresponding to a service supplier, system producer, cloud ID and even loyalty memberships.
Additional, OpenRoaming adheres to Passpoint and Wi-fi Roaming Middleman Change (WRIX) requirements, serving to bridge the hole between Wi-Fi and mobile networks by making it simple and protected for customers to roam between Wi-Fi networks with out having to take care of these annoying sign-in screens that solely appears to work half the time.
“OpenRoaming has been a key focus in 2024 for the WBA and performed a pivotal position within the actions of the Alliance, partially as a result of rising variety of world deployments but additionally from the methods it’s addressing verticals corresponding to Visitor Wi-Fi, IoT, Non-public Mobile and extra. I really feel assured that this momentum will develop exponentially within the years forward,” WBA CEO Tiago Rodrigues commented.
When requested why they’re excited about deploying or investing in OpenRoaming or Passpoint compliant networks, Trade Report 44% of the respondents mentioned to allow seamless entry between Wi-Fi and 5G/LTE, whereas 43% mentioned to offer improved safety on Wi-Fi (43%). These prime solutions have been adopted by enabling frictionless entry to Wi-Fi (39%) and enabling seamless entry throughout completely different networks (38%).
Whereas discussing the know-how’s progress with RCR Wi-fi Information, Rodrigues, pulled up an on-line OpenRoaming world protection map to focus on these international locations and cities which might be outpacing the others by way of adoption. “The U.S is getting begin; in Europe, we’re beginning to see some international locations like Belgium … wanting okay. London is beginning to get some traction, as nicely. One other nation that could be very nicely layered is Japan,” he mentioned.
“OpenRoaming is all about safety and the person expertise. We’re tremendous enthusiastic to see that every single day there are new networks. Let’s be sincere, that is the beginning. Like several know-how, you want a place to begin, and I imagine we are going to proceed to develop over time.”
So, with adoption marching alongside at clip, it’s time to consider the following section of OpenRoaming, and in keeping with Rodrigues that’s OpenRoaming for IoT, significantly for these units with out a person interface. “Like a speaker or earbuds, or perhaps a microwave,” he clarified. Utilizing OpenRoaming, some of these units can merely hook up with a Wi-Fi community as quickly because it enters the protection space.
“This may be on an enterprise or residential stage. One instance is I’ve a manufacturing unit the place I’ve deployed OpenRoaming, so I’m broadcasting a particular code that solely the units can see. Any IoT units with the identical code, as quickly because it enters the protection of Wi-Fi, will connect mechanically,” continued Rodrigues, including that the identical goes for a residential situation. There isn’t any configuration obligatory, no inputting that foolish community title you got here up with 5 years in the past or a protracted, difficult password simply to get your new good thermostat up and working.
