Wi-Fi Passpoint standard now knits together SF, San Jose, London

The cities at either end of Silicon Valley used the Wi-Fi Alliance's Passpoint specification to set up Wi-Fi roaming between their city-owned networks earlier this year. The technology lets residents and visitors set up a secure connection with either network and then automatically get on the other city's system whenever they enter its coverage area.

It's an arrangement that makes a lot of sense between the two cities: They're both home to major tech companies and are commuting distance apart. Adding in a river halfway around the world may seem like a stretch, but for travelers, the easy access to Wi-Fi across borders could be a nice convenience -- and a sign of things to come.

The Thames network spans 44 kilometers (27 miles) of riverfront in the London area, with access points both along the shore and on ferries. Access to the network is included with free Wi-Fi that's bundled with broadband plans from carrier BT.

Passpoint is a standard for automating and securing most aspects of getting onto Wi-Fi networks. It can eliminate the need to enter a username or password to join a Passpoint Wi-Fi network, even the first time you get on. To join a network initially, users only have to use a one-time provisioning file. After that, they automatically get on that network and on those of all roaming partners.

A second release of the specification, introduced this month, is designed to make the initial joining process even simpler and more secure. There are more than 700 devices and infrastructure products certified for Passpoint, including iOS and AndroidAndroid devices. Alles zu Android auf CIO.de