- Highlighting Broadcom's 'connectivity' leadership and contributions to Wi-Fi standards and adoption
- Utilization of Broadcom technology as a subject for comparative evaluation for certification
- Supports automatic connection of authenticated devices, enabling seamless Wi-Fi access even on the go
- Combined with 5G Wi-Fi based on the IEEE 802.11ac standard, it contributes to service providers offloading data traffic to Wi-Fi networks.
July 12, 2012 – Broadcom, a global wired and wireless semiconductor company, announced today that the Wi-Fi Alliance has selected Broadcom as a Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint™ Test Bed. With this, Broadcom’s BCM43224, BCM4718, and BCM4322 have become some of the first chips to obtain Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint™ and will be used as comparative evaluation targets for testing and certifying products going forward.
Connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots today can be somewhat burdensome, as users must search for networks, request a connection, and in most cases, be required to re-enter credentials. However, the PassPoint authentication program resolves this by automatically searching for and connecting to other authenticated devices without manual intervention, based on the Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0 specification. In addition to the advantage of easy user connection, PassPoint-based hotspots automatically provide enterprise-grade WPA2™ security.
The Passpoint program, designed by Wi-Fi Alliance telecommunications service providers and device manufacturers, contributes to more seamlessly offloading data traffic to Wi-Fi networks. The surge in internet data traffic via mobile is causing saturation in cellular networks. The PassPoint program, combined with 5G Wi-Fi—the 5th generation Wi-Fi based on IEEE 802.11ac—will provide faster and more stable wireless connections, thereby alleviating the shortage of cellular spectrum. All of Broadcom's 5G Wi-Fi devices will be equipped with PassPoint functionality.
"We are pleased that Broadcom has been selected as a testbed for Wi-Fi certification PassPoint," said Edgar Figueroa, CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance. "Broadcom's continued participation in the development of this program has played a key role in obtaining certification across the industry."
"Operators are striving to expand their networks to meet consumer needs for mobile devices and content," said Clint Brown, Deputy General Manager of Broadcom's Connectivity Combo Group. "PassPoint enables service providers to alleviate current flow in wireless networks and easily offload Wi-Fi traffic. Along with the advent of IEEE 802.11ac-based 5G Wi-Fi, this will allow consumers to experience fast and reliable internet access anytime, anywhere."