Wireless Internet Service Provider Roaming

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What Does Wireless Internet Service Provider Roaming Mean?

A wireless Internet service provider roaming (WISPr) is a framework that enables wireless Internet subscribers to roam between different wireless Internet service providers (WISPs). WISPr provides the operational practices, technology infrastructure/resources and comprehensive security framework that enables users to roam between Wi-Fi powered Internet services.

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WISPr is also pronounced as “whisper.”

Techopedia Explains Wireless Internet Service Provider Roaming

WISPr was chartered by the Wi-Fi Alliance to enable cellular network type roaming service within wireless ISPs. This framework requires several operational, technical and management tools and techniques to provide wireless roaming. These include the implementation of a browser-based login mechanism to provide a Universal Access Method (UAM) for any TCP/IP enabled Wi-Fi device, and a RADIUS server for authenticating users credentials and maintaining the AAA suite of services.

WISPr recommends that the AAA (authentication, authorization and accounting) as well as billing processes between WISPs be managed by an intermediary roaming service provider to ensure transparency.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.