Alcatel-Lucent announced the integration of Wi-Fi into its lightRadio infrastructure portfolio, with the intention of enabling consumers to seamlessly switch between mobile and Wi-Fi networks.

The company said that this represents a “radical departure” from the traditional way that mobile operators apply Wi-Fi to offload traffic from mobile networks. It said that “by enabling cellular subscribers to stay within their network and service plan, it will allow service providers to maintain use of their services, creating revenue, independent of how the customer is connected.”

In a conference call, Wim Sweldens, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s Wireless division, said: “Today, already 40 percent of the hotspots are actually owned by mobile network operators. And that number is growing and will grow more in the next couple of years.”

Sweldens noted deployments by AT&T, KDDI, China Telecom and China Mobile as evidence that Wi-Fi is being embraced by operators.

Alcatel-Lucent said lightRadio Wi-Fi will enable users to switch automatically from a mobile network to residential or public Wi-Fi networks and hotspots “without having to login, worry about payments schemes, or even be aware of the shift.”

It said that this is achieved in three ways: by using software that identifies and connects people to a “trusted” network automatically; by introducing new capabilities into service provider networks to manage the transition between Wi-Fi and cellular networks; and by integrating Wi-Fi directly into small-cell base stations and cellular networks.

It also said that the technology addresses security concerns, by always selecting the most “trusted” networks. “Complexity is the enemy of security, in some sense,” Sweldens said.

It was also noted that lightRadio Wi-Fi is “highly applicable for fixed-line and cable service providers,” enabling them to provide wireless coverage to subscribers without the need to invest in spectrum or mobile infrastructure. “At the end of the day, everybody is looking for the same end-user experience,” Sweldens said.

Alcatel-Lucent said it is working with “several major Wi-Fi access point companies” to ensure interoperability, and is working with Motorola Solutions as its preferred supplier of some Wi-Fi software as well as Qualcomm Atheros for silicon.

In terms of products, the company said that secure Wi-Fi gateway functionality has been introduced into its 7750 Service Router, new software has been added to its policy manager; and integrated Wi-Fi is an option for its femtocell and metrocell systems. It will also offer services for the planning, design and integration of lightRadio Wi-Fi into existing networks.