Enterprise-class voice over Wi-Fi carrier, DeFi Mobile, selects Quiconnect to energise global network roll out

Integration agreements already signed with VEX (Brazil) and Y5Zone (Hong Kong)

October 1, 2008 – Quiconnect today announces that it has been selected by DeFi Mobile to establish pervasive wireless broadband interconnection agreements with international telecoms and network operators so that users of DeFi’s new voice over Wi-Fi service, DeFi Global Access™, can roam seamlessly and get connected at public hotspot infrastructure as they travel worldwide.

A global IP mobile carrier headquartered in California, DeFi Mobile has invested in creating a carrier grade IP platform able to scale to 20 million users to deliver next generation feature-rich voice, mobile applications and services.  DeFi is offering an unique solution whereby consumers pay a flat fee of £25 per month to make and receive unlimited long distance calls, have unrestricted data and browser access, all using one mobile device on one robust network.

Jeff Rice, DeFi Mobile’s chief executive officer, says, “Our ‘all you can eat’ fixed priced package means that global travellers can now stay in touch easily with colleagues, family and friends without paying exorbitant international mobile roaming or web access charges.  As well, companies who use DeFi Global Access can slash their mobile phone and mobile data connections costs, freeing their executives and employees to use mobile communications whenever and wherever they need to.”

Supporting the S60 platform[1], DeFi runs on smartphones which have both cellular and Wi-Fi capability, typically Nokia’s E and N series handsets[2].  DeFi’s ‘over the air’ provisioning solution programs the network and provisions handsets in real time without any user involvement.

Following a simple login process on DeFi’s web site, consumers download the application onto their phones, select local numbers for the countries they want and are ready to go, with the DeFi solution automatically connecting users to available access points whether they be at home, work or in public places. 

DeFi Mobile’s Rice explains, “We are unique in offering phone numbers in 30 countries, with our customers able to choose up to three local country-specific DeFi numbers if they wish.  So, for example, if you’re travelling to the UK, Spain and Brazil on a regular basis, you could select these countries, be assigned a local number, all of which would ring on your one handset.”

This approach means that technology savvy customers who have tried to avoid paying costly roaming charges by having multiple SIM cards and handsets no longer need to do this, nor do people calling them incur high call costs either. 
Rice adds, “With simultaneous ringing and call forwarding features, if a call to a DeFi number is made and the user is not connected to Wi-Fi at that time, calls can still be received via cellular connectivity so the user doesn’t miss a call.”

Given its heritage offering RADIUS integration services and expertise working with the world’s leading telecoms companies and hotspot network operators – some 45 companies since active interconnections started in 2005 - Quiconnect was chosen by DeFi Mobile to assist in getting them connected to quality networks quickly and securely. 

VEX, Latin America’s number one Wi-Fi network operator with over 3000 hotspots, and Y5Zone, a leading Hong Kong-based operator with over 800 hotspots in the territory, have been chosen as the first integrations with additional operators coming online over time. 

In 2006, Quiconnect was chosen as the Wireless Broadband Alliance-approved WRIX[3] partner - one of only three independent companies to have achieved this accreditation – which means it is authorised to provide WLAN systems integration services among the WBA membership, comprising 28 of the world’s leading telcos, as well as non-WBA companies. 

Jeff Mabe, Quiconnect’s vice president, sales and marketing, says, “By connecting directly to our platform, DeFi Mobile avoids going out to each and every telco or network operator and negotiating technical and commercial terms on an individual basis, as we’ve already done that on its behalf. This means its network can be expanded quickly, with services to DeFi users broadened easily as they work to become the premier mobile voice over wireless provider.”

[1] The Series 60 platform is a Symbian mobile operating system
[2] DeFi has an aggressive road map of adding new devices and operating systems including iPhone, Blackberry and Windows Mobile.  Devices supported currently include: Nokia 95, Nokia N82, Nokia E65, Nokia E61i, Nokia E51, Nokia 95 8G, Nokia E90, E61 and Nokia E60
[3] The WBA created the Wireless Roaming Intermediary Exchange standard in 2006 to standardise and simplify how network operators and service providers interconnect technically as historically these interconnections had been bespoke, complicated and difficult to manage.