Leader in wireless communications services becomes Sponsor Member of global
certification and standards group
AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- T-Mobile has become a Sponsor Member of
the Wi-Fi Alliance and has appointed a Director to the organization's board.
T-Mobile is one of more than 330 member companies that comprise the Wi-Fi
Alliance and joins Apple, Atheros, Broadcom, Cisco, Dell, Intel, Microsoft,
Motorola, Nokia, Sony Corporation and Texas Instruments as sponsor members of
the organization. Omar Hassan, who leads T-Mobile's Wi-Fi device technology
development, has been appointed to serve on the Wi-Fi Alliance Board of
Directors.
The Wi-Fi Alliance is an international non-profit organization whose
leadership in marketing, technology and advocacy programs helps ensure the
best user experience with Wi-Fi. It was founded in 1999. Its Wi-Fi
CERTIFIED(TM) program has been a driving force in the growth of the Wi-Fi
industry originating with computer networking and now evident in consumer
electronics and handsets. ABI Research predicts that handsets will comprise
more than 25 percent of total Wi-Fi devices shipped this year, growing to
one-third of total shipments in 2012.
"T-Mobile has been an innovator and leader in advancing the popularity and
utility of Wi-Fi in handsets. As a Sponsor Member of the Wi-Fi Alliance,
T-Mobile exemplifies the importance of the mobile segment and operator
communities to the growth of the Wi-Fi industry," said Edgar Figueroa,
executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance. "T-Mobile will make a valuable
addition to the leadership of Wi-Fi Alliance as a Sponsor Member of our
organization."
Among carriers, T-Mobile has long been a leader in the integration of Wi-Fi
technology. In 2007, the company was the first U.S. carrier to launch a
converged Wi-Fi/mobile calling service to consumers. Earlier this month,
T-Mobile launched a converged Wi-Fi/mobile calling service offering for
enterprise customers. About 40 percent of T-Mobile's device line-up offers
broadband data speeds over Wi-Fi.
"As a leader in the development of Wi-Fi voice technologies, we're pleased to
join the Wi-Fi Alliance as a Sponsor Member and to appoint Omar Hassan to the
board of directors," said Ray Froelich, director of product definition for
T-Mobile USA. "We strongly believe there's a big opportunity to align device
makers, chipset vendors, carriers and their infrastructure providers to create
new and innovative products and services that spark the broad adoption of
Wi-Fi in the mobile space."
About the Wi-Fi Alliance:
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global non-profit industry association of hundreds of
leading companies devoted to the proliferation of Wi-Fi technology across
devices and market segments. With technology development, market building, and
regulatory programs, the Wi-Fi Alliance has enabled widespread adoption of
Wi-Fi, worldwide.
The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM) program was launched in March 2000. It provides a
widely-recognized designation of interoperability and quality, and it helps to
ensure that Wi-Fi enabled products deliver the best user experience. The Wi-Fi
Alliance has completed more than 6,000 product certifications to date,
encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and
established markets.
Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance®, WMM®, Wi-Fi Protected Access® (WPA), the Wi-Fi
CERTIFIED logo, the Wi-Fi logo, and the Wi-Fi ZONE logo are registered
trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance; Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM), Wi-Fi Protected
Setup(TM), Wi-Fi Multimedia(TM), and the Wi-Fi Alliance logo are trademarks of
the Wi-Fi Alliance.
About T-Mobile:
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of
Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the second quarter of 2009, almost 150
million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of
the Deutsche Telekom group -- 33.5 million by T-Mobile USA -- all via a common
technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world's most widely used
digital wireless standards. T-Mobile's innovative wireless products and
services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple
independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile among the highest in
numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call
quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile
is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG.
SOURCE Wi-Fi Alliance
Karl F. Stetson of Edelman, +1-206-268-2215, Karl.stetson@edelman.com, for
Wi-Fi Alliance; or T-Mobile USA Media Relations, +1-425-378-4002,
mediarelations@t-mobile.com
