Giving operators unprecedented ability to manage and monetize Wi-Fi connected subscribers, Mobile broadband developer Stoke (News - Alert), Inc. announces the immediate availability of the Wi-Fi eXchange, its breakthrough wireless offload gateway.

Through revenues from advertising and other premium services, the solution opens the door for operators to offset the escalating costs of capacity increases. By giving operators granular control over subscriber sessions, enabling them to balance traffic costs with traffic value, the Wi-Fi eXchange also reduces traffic carrying costs.

"We know from current engagements that seamless connections and monetization have now become a top priority for operators. Their ultimate vision for Wi-Fi is to deliver the same experience and service over Wi-Fi as they do over the cellular network," said Dan McBride (News - Alert), vice president of Marketing at Stoke.

He added that by providing standards-based solutions to congestion issues, user connectivity problems, and operators' need to control and monetize Wi-Fi traffic, Stoke's Wi-Fi eXchange makes this possible today. Without waiting for upgrades or replacements to tens of millions of hotspots, operators can execute to their vision now.

To solve cellular data network congestion problems, Wi-Fi access points are being deployed on a worldwide scale. However, due to demanding multiple steps and effectively removing contact between the user and their service provider, subscriber connectivity to Wi-Fi is still awkward.

Control Traffic, Control Costs Intelligent traffic handling capabilities provided by Stoke's Wi-Fi eXchange provide the traffic insight and steering capabilities required to make Wi-Fi offload commercially viable for operators.

For example, while Internet bound sessions bypass core network elements, Wi-Fi eXchange allows mobile broadband operators to apply policy to route some sessions to the mobile core. This granular, dynamic traffic control keeps a door open for mobile services over Wi-Fi and gives operators a comprehensive view of Wi-Fi-connected user activity while guarding against mobile core cost escalation.