UMA and femtocell vendor Kineto Wireless has developed what it calls the Smart Wi-Fi Offload platform yhat turns existing WiFi access points into seamless extensions of a mobile operator network, enabling smartphone users to receive all mobile services over WiFi, including voice, SMS, data, IMS and web-based services.
WiFi has been heavily touted--and heavily used by AT&T Mobility--as a way to offload mobile data network traffic to improve network bottlenecks. Operators are also facing a situation where mobile data traffic is outstripping revenue.
But Kineto says there are also some unsavory side effects associated with allowing subscribers with WiFi smartphones to move onto Internet-based WiFi networks. Namely, web services like Skype can be used, bypassing an operator's own revenue-generating services. In addition, smartphones using cellular and WiFi radios simultaneously face significant battery drain, which is a disincentive for using WiFi.
As such, Kineto's WiFi Offload platform is designed to deliver all mobile services via WiFi rather than the macro network. As a result, the cellular radio can be turned off whenever a smartphone is connected to WiFi and smartphones remain on the macro network.
For more:
- see this release [1]
Related articles:
Kineto Wireless gets $15M [2]
NEC Makes Strategic Investment in Kineto Wireless [3]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercewireless.com/press-releases/kineto-smart-wi-fi-offload-solution-addresses-network-challenges-created-smartphones
[2] http://www.fiercevoip.com/story/kineto-wireless-gets-15m/2008-10-07
[3] http://www.fiercewireless.com/press-releases/nec-makes-strategic-investment-kineto-wireless-1