3GPP UMA: See Thomas Talk: How Kineto's Smart Wi-Fi App Works

[SOURCE: Smart WiFi]

Smart Wi-Fi technology is based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Generic Access Network (GAN) standard. With Smart Wi-Fi, mobile operators can leverage Wi-Fi as a seamless extension of the mobile network, delivering high-quality, low-cost mobile services to subscribers at home, in the office and in hotspots. The GAN specification were originally developed by Kineto, Alcatel, AT&T Wireless, British Telecom, Cingular, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, Nortel, O2, Research-in-Motion, Rogers Wireless, Siemens, Sony-Ericsson and T-Mobile US. The specifications are included in 3GPP Release 6, and available through the 3GPP web site.

WHAT BENEFITS DOES SMART WI-FI PROVIDE SUBSCRIBERS?

•  Improved indoor 3G coverage: For subscribers with poor or little macro network coverage, Smart Wi-Fi enables them make and receive mobile calls via the existing Wi-Fi access points in the home or office.   •  Easier access to Internet/data services: Wi-Fi provides unfettered high-speed access to mobile data services that subscribers want most.  •  Improved battery performance: A key element of a GAN deployment is that the smartphone’s cellular radio can be hibernated because all mobile services are delivered over Wi-Fi.  This contrasts with ‘basic’ Wi-Fi usage where the Wi-Fi radio and the macro cellular radio are powered on simultaneously, which increases the power draw on the battery.  Now, the smartphones hibernates the cellular radio and continues to have a single radio powered, thus dramatically improving battery performance. WHAT BENEFITS DOES SMART WI-FI PROVIDE MOBILE OPERATORS? •  Churn reduction through improved coverage: Rather than using Wi-Fi to simply route web services such as YouTube, Facebook, Skype and others to the Internet, GAN enables all mobile services to be delivered over Wi-Fi.  As a result, subscribers can receive ‘five bars’ of coverage from existing Wi-Fi access points   •  Increase network capacity: By routing all traffic over Wi-Fi and IP, mobile operators are able to completely disengage smartphones from the outdoor macro network, freeing up valuable spectrum, power and signaling capacity for truly mobile smartphones.  •  Competitive VoIP response: With GAN, mobile operators can develop specialized calling plans for subscribers when they are connected over Wi-Fi.  By their very nature, the plans cover services used at the same locations where subscribers can use mobile VoIP applications like Skype.  Now, operators can offer alternative Wi-Fi calling service plans to address the competitive threat posed by Skype and other VoIP services.