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Wi-Fi offload shifts some or all mobile data traffic from a cellular connection to Wi-Fi. It can help operators address congestion or extend service indoors, but the result depends on more than an access point: devices must find and authenticate to the network, traffic must be steered appropriately, and the Wi-Fi path must interoperate with the operator’s security and mobile-core systems.
What is Wi-Fi offload?
Wi-Fi offload is the movement of data traffic or IP flows from a 4G or 5G cellular network onto a WLAN. The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) of India’s Draft Wi-Fi Offloading Generic Requirements, Version 02, describes it as seamless mobility of data and IP flow between cellular networks and Wi-Fi. The draft identifies congestion relief, spectrum efficiency, user experience, and indoor coverage as aims—not measured or guaranteed outcomes.
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Offload is not one fixed architecture. An operator must decide how a handset discovers a hotspot, what credentials and authentication it uses, whether the Wi-Fi access is treated as trusted or untrusted, which traffic moves, and how policy, quality of service (QoS), charging, and the mobile core are handled.
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How does a phone find and join carrier Wi-Fi?
Passpoint helps with discovery and authentication
Passpoint, also known as Hotspot 2.0, is designed to help compatible devices discover and authenticate to eligible Wi-Fi hotspots. Android’s documentation describes its use of IEEE 802.11u functions, including GAS and ANQP, to exchange network information. Windows describes Passpoint as using 802.11u to communicate with a provider before connection, with authentication and encryption using WPA2-Enterprise or WPA3-Enterprise and EAP. See the Android Open Source Project Passpoint documentation and Microsoft’s Passpoint documentation.
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Passpoint does not make every handset connect to every hotspot automatically. The device, firmware, operating system, hotspot configuration, credential type, EAP method, and provisioned profile must be compatible. Android’s documentation says Passpoint support is required on Android 11 or later devices that have Wi-Fi, while also noting that device manufacturers need firmware support for 802.11u. Windows credential and provisioning support likewise varies by path; its documentation, last updated January 31, 2025, describes SIM-based EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA, and EAP-AKA′ support in some provisioning scenarios and constraints for Windows 11 Online Sign-Up.
Compatibility includes older-version behavior
Android documents a historical auto-connection issue affecting certain SIM-based Passpoint Release 1 profiles on Android 8.x and 9. The advisory says it does not apply to Android 10 or later, so it is a version-specific example rather than evidence of a general current failure. Operators planning a rollout should test the actual mix of devices, profiles, and credentials expected on their network.
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Trusted and untrusted Wi-Fi use different paths
“Trusted” and “untrusted” describe different operator interworking models, not a universal ranking of whether a Wi-Fi network is safe. In the TEC draft, trusted access authenticates through AAA/HSS using 802.1X and EAP. Untrusted access uses an IPsec/IKEv2 tunnel from the user equipment to an ePDG or N3IWF gateway. The draft’s annex also compares LTE trusted TWAG and untrusted ePDG paths. Exact architecture depends on the operator’s deployment and applicable 3GPP versions.
| Access model in the TEC draft | Authentication or protection path | What the distinction means |
|---|---|---|
| Trusted Wi-Fi | Direct AAA/HSS authentication using 802.1X/EAP | The Wi-Fi access is integrated as a trusted access path in the operator architecture described by the draft. |
| Untrusted Wi-Fi | IPsec/IKEv2 tunnel from the device to an ePDG/N3IWF | The device reaches a mobile-core gateway through a protected tunnel rather than relying on the trusted-access path. |
These are the draft’s specified approaches, not a universal prescription for every operator or jurisdiction. The TEC document is an Indian draft requirements document; its “shall” language should not be read as a final rule that applies worldwide.
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Which traffic should move to Wi-Fi?
The TEC draft identifies three traffic strategies for trusted networks. They differ in how much traffic uses Wi-Fi and whether cellular service remains in use at the same time.
| Strategy | Traffic treatment | Planning implication |
|---|---|---|
| Full offload | All device traffic goes through Wi-Fi. | Policy must determine when the device uses Wi-Fi for its full traffic load. |
| Selective offload | Selected application flows use Wi-Fi; other traffic stays on cellular. | Operators need rules for choosing flows and handling service priorities. |
| Hybrid connectivity | Wi-Fi and cellular carry traffic simultaneously; the draft names MPTCP and ATSSS as examples. | Both access paths and their traffic treatment must work together under operator policy. |
The draft calls for policy control, QoS class mapping, prioritization of real-time traffic, dynamic bandwidth allocation, and charging mechanisms. Those are requirements in that document; they do not establish that every deployed network supports all three strategies or implements them in the same way.
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What must an operator plan beyond the access point?
A hotspot is only one component of an offload service. The TEC draft’s interoperability scope includes access points, AAA servers, ePDG/N3IWF gateways, and mobile cores, along with roaming and validation. A deployment discussion should cover the whole path from device to operator systems.
- Client support: Confirm Passpoint and 802.11u support, OS and firmware behavior, EAP and credential compatibility, and profile provisioning.
- Authentication and security: Select the trusted or untrusted access model and validate its AAA or tunneling path.
- Traffic policy: Decide whether the service uses full, selective, or simultaneous Wi-Fi/cellular traffic treatment, and define QoS and charging behavior.
- Interoperability: Test access points, authentication servers, gateways, mobile-core integration, and any roaming arrangements together.
- Deployment conditions: Set requirements for indoor or outdoor use, locally permitted frequency bands, throughput and MIMO targets, certifications, outdoor ratings, and validation. The TEC draft names these as procurement considerations; the applicable requirements must be adapted to local rules.
A retail access point may be useful for a small Wi-Fi lab or basic hotspot, but the device alone does not provide carrier-grade Passpoint roaming, subscriber AAA, traffic policy, gateway tunneling, mobile-core integration, or regulatory compliance. Match equipment claims to its specifications and intended scale.
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What does the Indian TEC draft establish—and what does it not?
The cited TEC document is labeled a draft and comes from India’s Department of Telecommunications. Its equipment, regulatory, and frequency context is therefore specific to India. The available document information does not establish a formal publication date or that the draft is a current final requirement. Operators should verify its current status and the applicable local rules before treating its requirements as binding.
The draft is useful for understanding the range of architecture, policy, interoperability, and procurement questions involved in offload. It does not provide a measured percentage for traffic shifted, congestion avoided, throughput gained, or cost saved. Those results depend on the particular network and should not be inferred from the draft’s stated aims.
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