TSI, Boingo Roam WiFi

TAMPA, Fla. -- TSI Telecommunication Services Inc. (TSI) (www.tsiconnections.com), a global communications technology company, and Boingo Wireless, the leading roaming provider for Wi-Fi Hot Spots, today announced an update to their strategic relationship to accelerate adoption of wireless data roaming by wireless operators and subscribers.

The two companies will combine TSI's long-term wireless industry clearing and settlement expertise with Boingo's Platform Services to establish cooperative roaming services for Wi-Fi WLAN networks and WWAN networks. Wireless Operators can leverage Boingo's Platform Services to add fully branded Wi-Fi WLAN services to their existing product offerings, while utilizing their existing relationship with TSI to integrate these services with their existing systems, including combining authentication and billing data into a seamless reporting stream to simplify customer billing.

"By combining TSI's authentication, billing and reporting expertise with Boingo's Hot Spot roaming network and customer software, wireless operators get a quick-to-market solution that unites Wi-Fi and wireless WAN," stated TSI CEO Ed Evans. "With TSI and Boingo, wireless operators get the best of both worlds -- traditional roaming settlement and leading Wi-Fi services."

"Wireless Internet access is on the verge of exploding in the United States and abroad," said David Hagan, president of Boingo Wireless. "Wireless operators need to be prepared to address customer requests for a combined Wi-Fi and wireless WAN service. Using Boingo's Platform Services with TSI's clearing, settlement and roaming facilitation services, operators can make WLAN and WWAN services appear seamless -- both to the customer and through billing processing."

In a separate release:

Chief Executive Officer G. Edward "Ed" Evans of TSI Telecommunication Services Inc. (TSI), (www.tsiconnections.com), a global communications technology company, today unveiled a corporate initiative to increase Wi-Fi usage and ultimately drive revenue increases for industry players in the Wi-Fi market. TSI's plan focuses on clearing and settlement services, roaming agreement facilitation and interoperability to increase access usage of Wi-Fi networks.

"Similar to the early days of wireless voice services, Wi-Fi roaming needs to be seamless, ubiquitous and profitable," said Evans. "In essence, TSI invented voice roaming. Likewise, our Wi-Fi initiative is to be the trusted third-party provider of complete interoperability between hot spot providers, aggregators and wireless carriers to enable secure, seamless roaming across all networks and to provide clearing and settlement services for accurate billing and revenue assurance."

TSI launched a new set of integrated wireless local area network (WLAN) services for operators, hot spot providers and aggregators earlier this year that simplify subscriber access to WLAN hot spots and create roaming interoperability between wireless operators, WISPs (wireless Internet service providers) and hot spot venues.

The service features AAA (authentication, authorization, accounting) broker services, authentication for GSM operators, AAA hosting services, data billing support services, data clearing and settlement and customer care tools. TSI will also facilitate roaming agreements between hot spot providers and wireless operators.

"Wi-Fi is still in its infancy, but recent reports show the number of hot spot locations in the United States alone increasing to an estimated 46,000 by year-end," said Evans. "Roaming, clearing and settlement and billing issues have to be worked out in order for the business models to be profitable. No other company in the industry is better positioned than TSI to ensure the success of W-Fi. The window of opportunity in the U.S. is now, and Europe is right around the corner."

TSI's AAA broker service controls mobile subscriber access to the wireless network and keeps track of the activity of subscribers. This service collects access and accounting records and feeds them to billing and customer care systems. Through a single relationship with TSI, mobile operators can obtain connectivity to all of their WLAN roaming partners, eliminating the need to establish and maintain relationships with multiple partners.

TSI's AAA hosting service provides a RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) server and a credentials database that stores user name, password, mobile identification number and similar information required to supply service to end users. For GSM operators, TSI provides SIM card-based authentication utilizing a GSM MAP gateway and the existing SS7 network to reach the home operator.

The data billing support service aggregates, rates, translates and converts WLAN records to the operator's specified standard or proprietary format in preparation for output to TSI's data clearinghouse or to the operator's billing system.

TSI will also offer its customer care and online analytical tools to provide a real-time view of mobile subscriber activity for customer service and network troubleshooting.

TSI Telecommunication Services Inc. (TSI)

Boingo Wireless Inc.