Do mobile voice and data communications remain the novelty that some critics suggest? Is deployment of wireless mobility infrastructure accomplished with black art and mirrors?  The truth is, usage of wireless LAN (WLAN) services is already extensive; judging by growing numbers of hotspots in public venues and enterprise features that enable employees on the move, or at their desks, to access corporate email and web service-based applications. Moreover, the acceptance of Wi-Fi as a secure and convenient data access is rapidly widening as providers take a software approach making deployment easier, secure, and less costly than implementing services with new hardware.

End users are encouraged by prospects of freely moving among hotspot corridors while working and surfing for data as easily as cellular phone users without regard to location - and getting just one bill. IT managers anticipate saving the cost of wiring between concrete floors and the added security of their mobile employees who roam within the enterprise campus and in ever increasing numbers, among the public hotspot venues. Smart moves of carriers aggressively promoting standards and extending metropolitan wireless corridors, combined with recent moves of vendors like Hewlett-Packard Company embedding Intel's Centrino chip into its laptops are pushing the vision into the realm of practicality.

While these advantages press first tier carriers, and wireless providers to blend Wi-Fi into their networks, certain infrastructure and interoperability issues typically stand in the way. These include, for example, provisions for a secure gateway integrating the variety of mobile networks, real-time message authentication, and transfer of billing records, all of which must enmesh in a cost-effective integration of WLANs and carrier-grade networks. Successfully implemented on a single platform, these capabilities are beginning to strip away the last reservations of carriers.

However, a second set of challenges related to the underlying business case, are creating more headaches than the technology hurdles. Although carriers can offset much of the build out costs by using existing investments in infrastructure, billing and customer care systems, it is clear that a viable business exists only for those that can affiliate their customers with third party hotspots in popular venues such as conference centers and airports and also invite roaming users into their own venues.

Looking back, it's easy to see how the proliferation of independent hotspot operators led to the current dilemma: "Islands of Automation,' a concept articulated in the '80s to describe the Achilles heel of early implementations of enterprise-wide networking. In today's telco world, opportunities for revenue building have led to many independent implementations of services based on 802.11 and similar "Islands of Data Connectivity," because the roaming business model is in its infancy. More recently, however, software mediation platforms and the establishment of billing agreements among carriers and service providers are enhancing Wi-Fi's acceptance.

The addressable market for mobile data services to business and consumer users is undoubtedly large. But consider the extent of carriers' investments to upgrade their service infrastructures for achieving seamless user access between many carriers' networks in order to support the requirements of WLAN implementations for public and enterprise applications. Without a network integrated PWLAN solution, an operator must have independent authentication servers, a complete billing and payment system including prepaid and other options, plus network management and associated customer care. These entail significant expenses and it's not easy to offer PWLAN services to the existing subscriber base without facing synchronization issues and still more expenses. There is also the requirement to roam between the networks. All, this comes at a time when many are engaged in GPRS and CDMA 1X rollouts.

We can see successful demonstrations of how carrier-grade networks integrating WLAN service are feasibly and cost-effectively implemented, not through new hardware which has been the usual answer, but this time with a new software-based business model. A particular media solution implemented by Transat Technologies, for example, illustrates this change where software enables seamless transactions between the WLAN world and the traditional wireline and mobile carrier world. Shown in Figure 1, is Transat's WAIN software solution set that integrates the IP traffic originating and terminating in the mobile data world with the SS7/GRX world using HP OpenCall SS7 signaling technologies as standards-based middleware. At the network administration level, SS7 signaling gateway software solutions are already commercially deployed and providing the technical foundation for the new business model. WLAN operators can utilize third-party clearinghouses and rely on standards-based mediation-platform technologies for roaming exchange and billing clearing.

An interesting aspect of today's marketplace is that carriers are concerned they may be entering a market in which incumbent Wireless ISP's and powerful enterprises such as Airport Authorities will have already substantially mined the opportunity. Clearinghouses such as TOGEWAnet with the WEROAM service have positioned their companies in the WiFi space to ensure that the GSM and wireline carriers can still capitalize on their extensive business and consumer customer relationships. TOGEWAnet' service authenticates users real-time on either the mobile data network or publicly operated wireless LAN, and presents a single carrier settlement bill to both network operators. Real-time authentication permits inter-carrier roaming as it happens on mobile networks. Carriers can provide their users with new WLAN-enabled 3G services, while WLAN hotspot operators can address a market consisting of millions of GSM users.

Figure 1: WAIN System Architecture. The intricate nature of technical solutions for a signaling gateway between WLANs and existing GPRS networks is readily apparent. Nevertheless, we can use software enabling in order to authenticate, deliver, and manage services - while also integrating usage and billing data back to existing business support systems.

The case for WLAN and Wi-Fi integration

The benefits of software-based integration extend beyond the carriers to the Enterprise market. Software solutions now exist that allow WLAN operators and hot spot owners to participate in Wi-Fi without the need for major capital deployments. For example, corporate IT managers can use a tunneling application of Transat's WAIN mediation software, FAST ENABLER, that enables an operator or business to deploy a hotspot with an off-the-shelf router product for under $100, configuring the software and aggregating that back into a clearinghouse like WEROAM.

Those looking at making off-the-shelf deployments are usually aware of generic solutions that typically require supplemental access controllers and operator-dedicated access hardware to govern the hotspots. In these cases, it's important to select technology that utilizes standard access points and routers because these will allow authentication and billing of users through the Internet, to either a trusted client such as SIM/Smart Card or a traditional Radius database. The solution allows rapid aggregation of individual WLAN operators and hotspots into one unified network, removing the confusion of multiple accounts for every different location.

For the mobile operator, this software allows high bandwidth services to be delivered through any Wi-Fi hotspot to the mobile customer, for a minimal investment. Think of the implications for a new coffee shop hoping to compete with the existing monopoly, or a building manager planning to entice new tenants by offering hotspots without the need for major capital deployments!  Here, operators can get an extremely quick return on investment because they do not have to worry about customer acquisition and are utilizing their existing network infrastructure. The carrier might offer WLAN everywhere to its customers for an extra $10/month. That would net a huge return.

Standards compliance completes the puzzle

Most wireless networks today are wholly owned, end to end by a particular operator. The integration of Public wireless LAN into the global data network is the first model that does not appear to be structured like this. Most venues, such as airports and hotels may not be owned and operated by the traditional carrier.

For the perceptive solution provider, reliance on and adherence to existing open standards is crucial to affiliate with these carriers. Although the SS7 space is complex, even messy at times, as solution providers build out wireless data mobility, they are working with proven vendors to comply with standards. This is one of the key reasons that Transat chose the HP OpenCall SS7 gateway technology to fold into its particular software offering. By hinging on agreed industry standards, the SS7 signaling gateway is, itself, the foundation for a "carrier-grade" functionality. This is essential for carriers introducing new services and solutions that are customized to the Wi-Fi bandwidth and further driving the use of hotspots.

For carriers, this standards-based software approach has the added benefit of producing a very fast return on investment in a new technology space, without imposing a huge investment in operations or capital expenses. This aggregation model of integrating network devices and mediation allows for growth, a critical hallmark for any thriving industry. Operators need to be able to add their own gateways and service platforms. They can bill for all services under their own brand. Additional operators can join the platform. This approach is already demonstrating that it can yield benefits to the virtual network operator that doesn't have any network at all - it just aggregates people's hotspots through a gateway into their own customer databases.

Chris Rogers is Vice President, Sales and Business Development of Transat Technologies, he brings over 20 years of management experience to Transat Technologies in both entrepreneurial and established environments. Prior to joining Transat, he served as Senior Vice President of a commercial wireless division of L3 Communications, where he built and managed an organization offering products and services to global wireless carriers. He has also held senior sales and management positions with Airspan Networks, Antec Communications and Raychem Corporation. He holds a Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and has completed Professional Development Courses at Harvard Business School.