Smart has just announced that they and Orange have successfully performed the first live roaming transaction using the latest Wi-Fi technologies for the deployment of Next Generation Hotspots (NGH). The trials for NGH represent a leap in making NGH a reality. NGH for the uninitiated, is a new leap in Wi-Fi technology, which allows seamless, automatic logins into a service provider’s Wi-Fi service without the user having to manually search and connect, much like how a mobile phone connects to cell sites.
According to Cisco, one of the proponents of Next Generation Hotspot, the new wireless technology helps to ensure a superior user experience with secure and seamless authentication and roaming. During the NGH Trial facilitated by WBA, mobile phones equipped with Smart SIM cards were able to connect instantly to Orange WiFi without the need to manually join the network.
“This opens up a lot of possibilities not only for Smart and Orange subscribers, but for the billions of mobile users in the world,” said Smart Chief Wireless Advisor Orlando B. Vea. “With the right business model and proper deployment, we would be able to make the Next Generation Hotspot yet another means of bringing the power of the Internet into the hands of every Filipino,” he added.
Smart plans to deploy the new technology in the middle of next year.
