WeRoam® provides a service bureau and aggregation service for Wireless ISPs and Mobile Operators wishing to enter the WLAN market. WeRoam® builds on its association with Comfone’ GSM SS7, billing and clearing service, to enable a similar range of roaming services for the WLAN market. Through WeRoam®, WISP’ may gain connectivity with the networks of Mobile Operators, and vice versa, so that a common roaming platform is created with an extensive worldwide footprint. This is done with minimal up front cost and maximum use of existing network resources.
WeRoam® is based on software from Transat Technologies that supports SIM-based authentication and billing within WLAN. WeRoam® enables network roaming using the existing SS7 inter-operator signaling infrastructure. The end-user experience is akin to using a mobile phone – whichever network he or she is on, the laptop or PDA will authenticate with the “home” network, and create a billing record in the home network. The user does not have to intervene with username, password, or any other such complication. The use of a SIM card (in fact a type of smart card) gives the operator the proven security of GSM phones and enables WLAN users to be provisioned and managed in the same way as mobile phone users. The system also supports users who do not have a SIM card or cellular account by interconnecting with existing RADIUS based billing and authentication systems. In this case, the benefits of cellular to WLAN integration are reduced but existing subscribers and “walk-in” customers may still use the hotspots.
During the 3GSM congress in Cannes (February 18- 21, 2003) TOGEWAnet will demonstrate a live version of the WeRoam® implementation in conjunction with a variety of WLAN hotspots, another World premier confirming the pioneering role of WeRoam®.
About Swisscom Mobile AG
Swisscom Mobile is the clear number one in the Swiss mobile communications market with a market share of around 65%. In the first six months of 2002 Swisscom Mobile generated revenues of CHF 2,011 billion (net revenue 2001: CHF 3,983 billion/net revenue 2000: CHF 2,847 billion). The company has about 3.5 million NATEL® customers. Since 1 April 2001 Swisscom Mobile has been a public limited company in which Swisscom Ltd has a 75% shareholding. The British
Vodafone Group, global market leader in mobile communications, has entered into a strategic partnership with Swisscom Mobile taking a 25% holding. The NATEL® network (GSM900 and GSM1800) supports all new technologies such as HSCSD, GPRS and will be expanded with Public Wireless LAN in popular places. With 99% coverage it is Switzerland’s best mobile network. It is also the only one to provide access to more than 300 mobile networks worldwide in more than 140 countries. www.swisscom-mobile.ch
About TOGEWAnet
The Swiss company TOGEWAnet AG, established in 2001 and owned by TOGEWA Holding, specialises in mobility management and roaming optimisation solutions for the mobile and wireless telecommunications sector. In May 2002 TOGEWAnet announced a strategic partnership with Infonet Services Corporation. Discussions are on-going to further extend the partnership. In July 2002 TOGEWAnet successfully introduced and demonstrated the first operational versions of its’ pioneering WeRoam® service, which received a great deal of interest from many players within the telecommunications industry. In October 2002 WeRoam® has successfully been implemented in the core GSM network of various operators to enable these operators to have a swift and cost efficient entrance into the world of WLAN.
TOGEWAnet’ WeRoam service facilitates the seamless integration of WLAN and GSM network technologies, enabling global roaming for WLAN services and thereafter facilitating automatic and secure roaming between WLAN, GSM and GPRS. Key solutions found in GSM technology have been adopted to make up the WeRoam® service, which provides secure authentication (based on GSM SIM and Radius), signaling conversion, clearing and settlement services (based on TAP - Transferred Account Procedure) and management of contractual roaming agreements. The subscriber will benefit from greater roaming coverage and the convenience of swapping between different standards with the additional advantage of having a single identity, thus receiving only one bill from his home network operator despite having visited a number of operators and countries and having used different mobile standards.
Close ties with its sister company, Comfone AG, also founded by the umbrella company of TOGEWA Group, allow TOGEWAnet to benefit from Comfone’ depth of experience in offering a wide range of roaming services to GSM operators. For more information, please visit www.weroam.com