The Social (WiFi) Network

Each day, more devices – cellphones, smartphones, tablets, laptops, and much more – come to life, waiting to “get networked” and join the great data cloud that now covers the world. Nearly all of those devices will have the ability to connect to the internet using WiFi (the vast majority won’t even have a port for a physical network cable) – as well as the ability to access 3G data networks provided by cellphone and data service providers.

Unlike WiFi – which is localized and is just an extension of a wired network, which the WiFi router is connected to – 3G data networks are not connected to anything, which means that thousands, if not millions, of devices are trying to access “the signal” at the same time. Unfortunately, 3G networks just aren’t capable of that type of load, and the enormous volume of requests is slowing everyone down – and creating a lot of frustrated customers!
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An Israeli company has developed a system that helps take the pressure off 3G data networks by “off-loading” usage to WiFi hotspots. The company, called WeFi, provides an application of the same name (for Android, Symbian, and Windows mobile and PC) that lets you search and find millions – over 100 million, in fact – open Wifi hotspots all over the world! The company’s WeANDSF (WeFi+ Access Network Discovery and Selection Function) technology will automatically move a user’s data connection from the 3G network to a local Wifi connection whenever it finds one.

How does WeFi know where to look for? It has a database – with information sent in by users who have WeFi installed on their devices. Each time you log onto a Wifi connection, WeFi updates the database and adds it to the user map – and when other WeFi users are in the neighborhood, “your” hotspot shows up on their maps, too (WeFi later figures out if it’s a free or pay site; it does not check if you connected to the network with a login/ password).

“This allows the operator to control the device’s network selection decision, whilst they can also know what’s happening with a user even when a user is on WiFi, whereas up to now when a user has gone to WiFi they have been off the grid”, says Amit Shaked, VP of product and marketing, to MobileEurope.

WeFi, which has been around for 6 years, presented its solutions at the 4G Israel Conference, where hundreds of top phone industry execs gathered to exchange ideas.

In essence, it’s a social network for Wifi connections, using the power of the many to let individual members get faster and cheaper connections automatically – at the same time lowering the pressure on existing data networks, giving service providers more time to install 4G networks. It’s a win-win proposition that the Tel Aviv based company provides, with 5 million happy users who are getting a great deal – and helping the network to breathe a little easier!

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Via Israel National News
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