Successful EAP Authentication Trials on WISPr Based Wi-Fi Networks

Comfone and Accuris Networks have successfully completed implementation of an end-to-end demonstrator for EAP-SIM and EAP-AKA authentication on WISPr based WiFi networks.

Today, access to public WiFi services is predominantly based on username/password authentication. Extensible Authentication Protocols or EAP-based authentication, a generic protocol standardised by the International Engineering Taskforce (IETF), offers more comprehensive authentication methods that include SIM card and security certificates. However, the use of EAP is limited to WiFi networks that have deployed an 802.1x network and this is a minority of the current deployed WiFi networks worldwide.

To overcome the need for the deployment of an overlay 802.1x network in order to achieve EAP authentication, Comfone and Accuris Networks began testing a solution based on the EAP over HTTP mechanism specified in the latest draft of WISPr 2.0, an upcoming Wireless Broadband Alliance specification. EAP over WISPr (Wireless Internet Service Provider roaming) aims at providing a middle step that allows EAP authentication by extending the current WISPr architecture allowing users to roam between wireless internet service providers.

To overcome the need for the deployment of an overlay 802.1x network in order to achieve EAP authentication, Comfone and Accuris Networks began testing a solution based on the EAP over HTTP mechanism specified in the latest draft of WISPr 2.0, an upcoming Wireless Broadband Alliance specification. EAP over WISPr (Wireless Internet Service Provider roaming) aims at providing a middle step that allows EAP authentication by extending the current WISPr architecture allowing users to roam between wireless internet service providers.

"Data heavy 3G and Mobile Broadband applications are putting increased pressure on mobile operators," commented Gilbert Little, Chairman of Accuris Networks. "By using WiFi Offload, operators can cost-effectively meet the growing demand for bandwidth while providing customers with high speeds." He said that this standards-based approach to automating WiFi offload helps to increase adoption beyond today's proprietary solutions. "Most importantly, this ensures that mobile operators keep control of their subscribers when they are on WiFi networks. This means they can continue to deliver their services rather than lose out to over-the-top service providers."