Telecom Lead Brazil: Mobile service provider TIM Brasil has tapped Retis and Aptilo Networks to kick off Wi-Fi initiative to deploy wireless broadband throughout Brazil.

TIM Brasil wants to catch up with football fever during the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games and offer better mobile broadband services to 64+ million subscribers.

Brazil’s second largest mobile operator has tied up with systems integrator Retis and Aptilo Networks, a provider of mobile data offloading solutions, to source Wi-Fi and mobile data offloading solution.

TIM Brasil’s aggressive expansion plans are expected to offload mobile data traffic, using over 10,000 hotspots to be deployed throughout Brazil.

“With the Retis-Aptilo solution, TIM Brasil’s customers enjoy an easy-to-use experience and TIM Brasil has opportunities to generate revenue,” said Paolo Di Loreto, Country Manager of Retis do Brasil.

 Mobile data offloading through Wi-Fi enables telecom operators for a cost-effective and fast rollout. It also decreases 3G network congestion and improves operator’s customer experience.

“Mobile data offloading delivers an exceptional customer experience by enabling a seamless flow from one network to another,” said Torbjorn Ward, CEO, Aptilo Networks.

The Aptilo solution offloads mobile data from TIM Brasil’s HSPA and HSPA+ networks through Aptilo’s Wi-Fi platform. Utilizing the fiber network of TIM Intelig and TIM Fiber as a backbone, TIM Brasil will leverage Aptilo’s mobile data offloading and Wi-Fi solutions on a national basis.

“People from all over the world will flock to Brazil to celebrate the World Cup and 2016 Olympics. The ability to offload mobile data to Wi-Fi will ease network congestion significantly and increase data speeds, for an exceptional user experience,” said Rafael Marquez, marketing director at TIM Intelig.

TIM Brasil will roll out Aptilo’s Wi-Fi and mobile data offloading solution to favelas as recently done in Paraisopolis (Sao Paulo), providing Internet access to orphanages, schools and other community organizations that otherwise would not have connectivity.

TIM Brasil has also deployed Aptilo’s Wi-Fi and mobile data offloading solution to the main 15 airports in Brazil, including Sao Paulo, Rio, Recife and Brasilia.

In line with the 2014 World Cup, TIM announced a partnership with Vasco da Gama, a major team in Rio de Janeiro, to provide, by the end of this year, Wi-Fi access for spectators in its private soccer arena.

SIM Authentication Server helps TIM Brasil monetize the network. When customers are authenticated as they move from 3G to the Wi-Fi network, they are brought to a portal page to approve the minimal daily charge for Wi-Fi access.

[email protected]