Leading 4G and small cell rooftop tower company Towerstream announced that its Manhattan Wi-Fi network has become one of the first networks to be named as a certified next-generation hotspot (NGH) by the Wireless Broadband Alliance’s (WBA) Interoperability Compliance Program (ICP). The WBA’s ICP is an integral step toward end users having seamless integration between 3G/LTE networks and reliable high-capacity Wi-Fi networks.

“Towerstream engineering has been working closely with the WBA team, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results,” said Towerstream VP of Engineering and Operations Arthur Giftakis.

The ICP sets forth Wi-Fi guidelines – including security, data offload, device authentication, network implementation, charging models, and billing mechanisms – for mobile operators to standardize how devices connect to and roam onto Wi-Fi networks. With the next-generation hotspot (NGH) from WBA, Wi-Fi networks will become seamlessly integrated into the mobile lifestyle, significantly enhancing the user experience. This step to integrating Wi-Fi into heterogeneous networks and mobile networks gives carriers a new opportunity as well as potential new revenue streams.

The WBA has been pleased to see the operator community embrace the ICP and recognize its value in improving how it works together to provide a more consistent roaming experience. Towerstream is one of the first companies to complete initial network assessments and achieve compliancy. This demonstrates the increasing momentum within the Wi-Fi roaming ecosystem and paves the way for continued implementation of NGH.

For more information about Towerstream, visit www.towerstream.com

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