Wi-Fi Alliance(R) Welcomes T-Mobile as New Sponsor Member

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- T-Mobile has become a Sponsor Member of the Wi-Fi Alliance and has appointed a Director to the organization's board. T-Mobile is one of more than 330 member companies that comprise the Wi-Fi Alliance and joins Apple, Atheros, Broadcom, Cisco, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Sony Corporation and Texas Instruments as sponsor members of the organization. Omar Hassan, who leads T-Mobile's Wi-Fi device technology development, has been appointed to serve on the Wi-Fi Alliance Board of Directors.

The Wi-Fi Alliance is an international non-profit organization whose leadership in marketing, technology and advocacy programs helps ensure the best user experience with Wi-Fi. It was founded in 1999. Its Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM) program has been a driving force in the growth of the Wi-Fi industry originating with computer networking and now evident in consumer electronics and handsets. ABI Research predicts that handsets will comprise more than 25 percent of total Wi-Fi devices shipped this year, growing to one-third of total shipments in 2012.

"T-Mobile has been an innovator and leader in advancing the popularity and utility of Wi-Fi in handsets. As a Sponsor Member of the Wi-Fi Alliance, T-Mobile exemplifies the importance of the mobile segment and operator communities to the growth of the Wi-Fi industry," said Edgar Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance. "T-Mobile will make a valuable addition to the leadership of Wi-Fi Alliance as a Sponsor Member of our organization."

Among carriers, T-Mobile has long been a leader in the integration of Wi-Fi technology. In 2007, the company was the first U.S. carrier to launch a converged Wi-Fi/mobile calling service to consumers. Earlier this month, T-Mobile launched a converged Wi-Fi/mobile calling service offering for enterprise customers. About 40 percent of T-Mobile's device line-up offers broadband data speeds over Wi-Fi.

"As a leader in the development of Wi-Fi voice technologies, we're pleased to join the Wi-Fi Alliance as a Sponsor Member and to appoint Omar Hassan to the board of directors," said Ray Froelich, director of product definition for T-Mobile USA. "We strongly believe there's a big opportunity to align device makers, chipset vendors, carriers and their infrastructure providers to create new and innovative products and services that spark the broad adoption of Wi-Fi in the mobile space."

About the Wi-Fi Alliance:
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global non-profit industry association of hundreds of leading companies devoted to the proliferation of Wi-Fi technology across devices and market segments. With technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, the Wi-Fi Alliance has enabled widespread adoption of Wi-Fi, worldwide.

The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM) program was launched in March 2000. It provides a widely-recognized designation of interoperability and quality, and it helps to ensure that Wi-Fi enabled products deliver the best user experience. The Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 6,000 product certifications to date, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets.

Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance®, WMM®, Wi-Fi Protected Access® (WPA), the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo, the Wi-Fi logo, and the Wi-Fi ZONE logo are registered trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance; Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM), Wi-Fi Protected Setup(TM), Wi-Fi Multimedia(TM), and the Wi-Fi Alliance logo are trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

About T-Mobile:
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the second quarter of 2009, almost 150 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group -- 33.5 million by T-Mobile USA -- all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world's most widely used digital wireless standards. T-Mobile's innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG.