ETSI Hosts Roaming Protocol TestETSI Hosts Roaming Protocol Test

ETSI hosts connectivity tests for International Roaming Access Protocols (IRAP)

February 10, 2005

2 Min Read

SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, France -- Access to wireless service anywhere, anytime, which is being driven by end-user demand, is an exciting challenge for telecom operators and manufacturers. For this to become a reality an implementation of common interfaces ensuring seamless roaming is needed. This is the objective of the IRAP (International Roaming Interfaces Protocols) program.

Tests being completed this week at the ETSI Plugtests™ interoperability site are providing “real world” environments that will help carriers, operators and intermediaries to set the bench mark for IRAP compliant networks, providing seamless connectivity for wireless users.

The Plugtests event has provided test beds to measure the resilience of the IRAP framework, which is fully harmonized with the GSM Association’s Operator WLAN Handbook (IR61) for GSM operator Wi-Fi deployment, and is also intended for use by fixed line and independent Wi-Fi operators.

The Plugtest test beds include four complete Wi-Fi hotspots, providing roaming interoperability with six different service providers and intermediaries.

Philippe Cousin, manager of ETSI Plugtests Service, is hopeful that this is the beginning of a series of interoperability events and further cooperation with various manufacturers and operators for evolved networks.

Mr. Cousin remarked;
“This event is a good example of the commitment that the participants have to work together to achieve end-to-end interoperability. We hope that the work on the IRAP framework will be enhanced as a result of this week’s testing.”

Companies participating in the ETSI Plugtests this week included Boingo, Cetecom, Funk Software, Gemplus, Intel, MACH Dan Net, PicoPoint Technologies, Roampoint, Syniverse, and Telia-Sonera.

The primary focus this week has been the tests conducted the ETSI draft Technical Report ETSI DTR/Tispan 02025, which develops an open implementation for international wireless roaming from “next generation networks”, maximizing the use of existing standards.

The Technical Report has been prepared by the ETSI Technical Committee TISPAN and is entitled; “NGN Requirements and Functional Architecture; Network Attachment using Fixed Wireless LAN (802.1X)”.

“We are pleased to be working with ETSI to continue advancing the IRAP framework,” said Kevin Kahn, Intel Senior Fellow and Director of Intel Communications Technology Lab. “Deployment of IRAP-compatible networks by wireless service operators will enable safer, simpler, seamless connectivity at hotspots worldwide. This is a great opportunity for the industry to provide better service and increase customer satisfaction.”

European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)

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