Italy and London as Pioneers of Smart Wi-Fi with Open Roaming: Enrico Pagliarini’s Interview

Listen to the interview

E.P:

Now I’d like to talk about Wi-Fi — it’s been a while since we last discussed it. There have been some technological developments, but today we want to talk about a project that isn’t brand new but is still, let’s say, at year zero.

It’s called Open Roaming on Wi-Fi networks. I welcome Giovanni Guerri, who is the founder and CEO of Guglielmo, a company specialized in Wi-Fi networks that manages Wi-Fi infrastructures. Thank you for being with us.

Welcome.

G.G.:

Thank you for the invitation.

E.P:

Open Roaming — what is it, and what does it have to do with Wi-Fi?

G.G.:

Well, Open Roaming is a project born within the Wireless Broadband Alliance, and it aims to create a federation of all Wi-Fi networks in the world. The idea is that any user with specific credentials — a particular profile — can access Wi-Fi networks globally in the same seamless way we connect to cellular networks.

E.P:

So you’re saying that just like I can access a cellular network and move around without noticing when I switch operators, the same would happen if someone is connected to a network that is part of…

…part of this Open Roaming project, they could move from place to place without searching for a network, logging in, entering a password and so on — is that right?

G.G.:

Absolutely. These were the major limitations of public Wi-Fi — the poor user experience, having to sign into a different portal depending on where you are — so this completely eliminates those issues.

Moreover, it introduces encrypted, and therefore secure, network access. As we all know, public Wi-Fi networks are usually open and can cause cybersecurity problems. Open Roaming also solves this kind of issue.

E.P:

So, assuming I want to try it — and there aren’t many networks yet. Let’s say there are two in Italy: yours and one from a competitor or maybe a friend company?

G.G.:

Both competitor and friend.

E.P:

Perfect. So we’re still at the beginning — as you said, we’re at year zero. But even globally, these networks are still few.

Assuming I have access to one of these networks, what do I need to do to activate my profile and register to the network?

G.G.:

It’s very simple. Operators like us make available online portals that you can access even from home — so no need to be in the physical location.

You register on these portals and download a profile, which is a file that acts like a kind of virtual SIM. This profile recognizes all Wi-Fi networks in the world that are part of Open Roaming and automatically authenticates you.

There’s no need to select the network or worry about signal quality — everything is handled automatically.

E.P.

So if all — or at least most — public Wi-Fi networks, like the ones we find in libraries, hotels, airports, etc., joined Open Roaming, we could forget about logging into networks, entering passwords, and so on, right?

G.G.:

Exactly — that’s the goal, and it’s a legitimate one. We personally believe in it strongly and have been working on it for some time, because this might be the only way to truly revive the value of public Wi-Fi networks.

E.P.

But what’s the use of public Wi-Fi today when we have dozens, if not hundreds, of gigabytes available on our smartphones through 4G or 5G? Especially with the EU allowing us to use some data abroad — whether it’s on phones, tablets, or laptops.

G.G.:

Good question. There are three key points. First — and I say this jokingly — for the average teenager, there are never enough gigabytes, so the search for Wi-Fi is constant. Second, we all sometimes find ourselves in areas with poor cellular coverage — even in big cities or indoors, like restaurants or enclosed spaces.

In those cases, Wi-Fi is an excellent complement to cellular networks.

In fact, we could go further and say Wi-Fi should be a complement to mobile networks. The third point concerns international travel. Even though data is increasingly available abroad, people who travel a lot tend to prefer Wi-Fi networks.

And we know this from the stats we have from our over 40,000 access points — they show consistent usage.

E.P.:

Sure, and it’s true, when we’re staying at a hotel or elsewhere, we often seek out Wi-Fi — for many reasons, some of which you mentioned. I asked the question, but I myself often use public Wi-Fi, even if some of those networks aren’t entirely trustworthy, right?

G.G.:

Absolutely. Security is central to the Open Roaming approach. The networks are encrypted, unlike traditional public Wi-Fi networks, which are often open.

The captive portal — although inconvenient — serves to provide a bit of user protection. But it kills the user experience. On the other hand, fully open networks are a serious security concern, potentially allowing intrusions, which I do not recommend.

What makes Open Roaming attractive is that it really solves the two main problems of public Wi-Fi: ease of use and security — both essential if Wi-Fi is to grow again as it once did.

E.P.:

Yes, and let’s remind everyone: a captive portal is that Internet page we often see automatically when we connect to public Wi-Fi, like in a hotel or a shopping center. It asks for some credentials, sometimes just an email. But it’s that page that often makes us give up and just use mobile data instead.

But tell me this: who pays? Public Wi-Fi is now generally considered free — no one actually pays to access it, right?

G.G.:

Correct — Wi-Fi networks are usually free. In some hotels or airports, there may still be paid options for faster speeds or more bandwidth, but I’d say 99% are completely free.

E.P.:

So who pays for these networks?

G.G.:

Usually the location owner — it could be a municipality, a retail chain, or a hotel. They pay to provide a quality Wi-Fi service.

E.P.:

Of course — as a service to their users.

G.G.:

Exactly.

E.P.:

There are also Wi-Fi networks used to collect data — obviously in accordance with GDPR and privacy laws. But what kind of data can be collected?

G.G.:

Typically, presence data — your presence in a place, how long you stay, how often you return. Wi-Fi is excellent for this because of its limited coverage radius, which allows very accurate localization and dwell-time measurement.

This makes it a powerful business tool — especially for retailers or large chains. Knowing customer behavior allows for more effective communication and engagement.

So yes, in this sense, Wi-Fi is central.

E.P.:

Yes, and over the last — maybe two decades — or at least several years, I’ve seen many startups and companies developing these kinds of analytics and marketing solutions based on Wi-Fi data, often anonymous. Is this being widely adopted now or still limited?

G.G.:

The problem lies in user authentication. If users must connect to an inconvenient and insecure network, they’ll do it rarely — so the data companies can collect is minimal.

I can’t imagine an average customer, while shopping, going through a captive portal just to leave some data for the retailer.

That’s why retailers must use solutions like Open Roaming, which provide seamless and secure access, enabling consistent data generation about their customers.

The real barrier is the onboarding process onto the Wi-Fi network.

E.P.:

Yes, absolutely. I’d say — every hotel should be on Open Roaming.

G.G.:

Exactly. That’s the holy grail of Open Roaming.

E.P.:

One thing I forgot to ask earlier: you mentioned the two Open Roaming networks in Italy — Pisa and Reggio Emilia, the latter being yours. But you also did an important project in London building a large Wi-Fi network. What did you do there?

G.G.:

Yes, well, London realized that within the city there were many open Wi-Fi networks that were increasingly unused due to the same convenience and security issues we discussed.

So they looked into how to modernize their user authentication processes. They correctly identified Open Roaming as the solution, launched a public tender, and we were lucky — and perhaps skilled — enough to win it.

We’ve now activated 250 Open Roaming access points in the Westminster area.

The City of London was very collaborative and pleased with the results, and we’re seeing daily growth in user participation. So London has certainly become — without a doubt — the most significant Open Roaming case in Europe, and one of the most important globally. We hope it sets an example.

In fact, we’ll soon implement the same Open Roaming access model in the city of Verona.

E.P.:

Very good. Thank you, Giovanni Guerri, for being with us. All the best with your work.

G.G.:

Thanks so much to you — all the best!