The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) announced AT&T successfully completed a proof-to-concept WBA OpenRoaming Wi-Fi network trial in specific areas of downtown Austin, Texas. According to WBA, AT&T is the first major carrier to conduct a feasibility study of WBA OpenRoaming in a high-density city network.
The goal of the WBA OpenRoaming project is to make Wi-Fi roaming more cellular and much easier for consumers. WBA OpenRoaming will eliminate the need for users to constantly re-enter login information when trying to access the internet, enabling them to automatically connect when within range of a hotspot to enjoy immediate access. Not only will WBA OpenRoaming offer the ease of convenience, but it will also provide consumers with an enterprise-grade security and carrier-grade Wi-Fi experience.
Although the trial was just executed in a city environment, WBA envisions utilizing OpenRoaming almost anywhere, including educational buildings like schools and libraries as well as business institutions.
“This trial is the first step in demonstrating WBA OpenRoaming technology in a dense, urban location,” said Tiago Rodrigues, WBA CEO. “This will be further developed in the summer of 2021 and commercial developments will come onboard.”