Facebook unveiled on Tuesday a new partner ecosystem program called Express Wi-Fi Certified, which allows access point manufacturers to build more reliable Wi-Fi hardware and also to offer more affordable WiFi connectivity to rural and urban areas.
Three leading WiFi companies - Arista, Cambium Networks, and Ruckus Networks, an ARRIS Company - have joined the program as the initial Certified partners.
Facebook said it developed the Express Wi-Fi Certified program to address access point limitation issues in the field with operators and entrepreneurs. Facebook has started working closely with manufacturers to build better Wi-Fi access points. These new access points help devices better detect the registration pages, which helps more people successfully connect to Wi-Fi networks, says Facebook.
Facebook partners with licensed local internet service providers, mobile network operators, and others to provide Wi-Fi services. Today, Express Wi-Fi is available with 10 partners in five countries — India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
Guy Mordecai, Product Lead for Express Wi-Fi, Facebook
Through our work with leading Wi-Fi vendors, we hope to expand the Express Wi-Fi ecosystem and accelerate innovation to provide a sustainable business model for fast and affordable Wi-Fi at a meaningful scale.
Atul Bhatnagar, President and CEO, Cambium Networks
The Express Wi-Fi Certified program is a natural fit for Cambium Networks given our strong history of designing robust wireless networks around the world for more than a decade.
