Arista Networks, Cambium Networks and Ruckus Networks are the first vendors in the Facebook Express Wi-Fi Certified program. The certification process is meant to make it easier for vendors to provide equipment for Facebook’s Express Wi-Fi service, which is a Facebook program aimed at facilitating connectivity worldwide.
The Express Wi-Fi program enables local Internet service providers, mobile network operators and other to offer fast and affordable access. The program began testing in 2015.
The goal is to ease access. “People typically access Express Wi-Fi hotspots by signing up with a participating retailer and purchasing a prepaid data pack,” according to a feature in f code, a Facebook site. “Using Express Wi-Fi hotspots, our partners can easily expand their services and provide faster, more affordable connectivity to rural and urban areas.”
Part of easing access is to smooth out the technical edges. Express Wi-Fi Certified aims to facilitate the use of a new generation of access points. Facebook worked closely with manufacturers to design APs that are better able to detect registration pages and track data use. Among other benefits, the new APs also enable segregation of traffic classes.
The certification program is significant in that it locks in and makes standard some of the key benefits of the overall program. Express Wi-Fi hotspots play key roles in authentication and track data usage. A key to the technology is that more processing power is pushed to the AP. The overall benefits are that people have a greater online experience, and more people can be connected. The standardization also makes the ongoing participation in the program easier for vendors and their ecosystems.