An improved method for connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots from the Wi-Fi Alliance. Authentication is performed automatically and silently by the compliant mobile device and hotspot without the user having to do anything.
Also known as "Hotspot 2.0," cable companies use Passpoint to enhance their service offerings. Cable subscribers identify themselves one time on their mobile device, and they connect automatically to any cable Wi-Fi hotspot they come into. In 2010, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision agreed to provide interoperability among all their hotspots of which there are thousands in the big cities.
Falling under the IEEE 802.11u specification, Passpoint uses EAP authentication protocols and the WPA2-Enterprise protocol for encryption. See
EAP,
WPA and
802.11u.