Partners with iPass to give Japanese consumers global Wi-Fi data roaming services
iPass, a global Wi-Fi roaming provider for enterprises and telecom service providers, announced today that KDDI Corporation, Japan's principle telecommunications provider, and Wire and Wireless (Wi2), a provider of end to end wireless LAN services in Japan, now offer their subscribers a global Wi-Fi data roaming service that uses the iPass Mobile Network.
au Wi-Fi SPOTis a service that lets KDDI users enjoy Wi-Fi access in Japan and over 100 overseas countries in the US, Asia, and Europe, allowing high speed internet connections on smartphones with the au Wi-Fi Connection Tool, using the iPass Mobile Network, which the company claims is the world's largest commercial Wi-Fi network.
'KDDI wants to ensure our customers have a convenient way to data roam on Wi-Fi while they travel abroad,' said Tadashi Egawa, head of KDDI's service development and Wi-Fi business strategy department. 'Seamless access to a reliable Wi-Fi service beyond Japan is important to our globally mobile customers and iPass provides the leading Wi-Fi network worldwide that supports our carrier-grade Wi-Fi roaming needs.'
'Global Wi-Fi access is critical for our subscribers and partnering with iPass, the leading Wi-Fi provider gives Wi2 customers the ability to roam the largest commercial-grade Wi-Fi network in the world,' said Noboru Minami, vice president and head of Wi2's sales division. 'Our new international Wi-Fi roaming service from Wi2 will be an effective way for our customers to get online quickly and affordably using their laptops, smartphones and tablets in over 100 countries.'
Steve Livingston, iPass senior vice president of carrier development, commented: 'KDDI and Wi2 recognize the consumer demand and strategic benefit of Wi-Fi as a complementary service to 3G and 4G as their customers travel outside of Japan. iPass Open Mobile Exchange offers a competitive advantage to service providers that centres on revenue generation and customer retention. It presents a new value proposition for both CDMA and GSM service providers beyond their own networks using iPass.'
