Alvarion said it reached a deal with a Tier 1 Japanese operator to offload the carrier's 3G data traffic to Alvarion's carrier-grade Wi-Fi base stations in Tokyo. Such a strategy could be employed in the future by additional carriers, including those in the United States.

Alvarion said it is working with Hitachi Cable Networks on the solution for the carrier, which it did not name. The Wi-Fi base stations will cover major train stations and congested areas in downtown Tokyo business districts. Alvarion said the deployment is the initial phase of a nationwide deployment targeting crowded public spaces where data usage is high.

FierceWireless: Alvarion strikes Wi-Fi offload deal with Japanese operator; TelecomTV content partner.