Entitlement based Wi-Fi authentication

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions; and

a processing element operatively coupled to the non-transitory memory medium, wherein the processing element is configured to execute the program instructions to cause a wireless station to:

request to connect to a carrier network via a Wi-Fi access point associated with the carrier network;

receive, from the Wi-Fi access point, a request for an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) responsive to the connection request;

authenticate with a carrier network entitlement server, using a wireless communication protocol other than Wi-Fi, wherein the authentication with the carrier network entitlement server comprises receiving, at the wireless station, a Wi-Fi service token using the wireless communication protocol other than Wi-Fi;

determine a pseudonym for obtaining Wi-Fi access based on the Wi-Fi service token;

authenticate with the Wi-Fi access point, upon authentication with the carrier network entitlement server and based at least in part on the request for the IMSI, using the pseudonym and without providing the IMSI; and

communicate, upon Wi-Fi authentication, with the carrier network through the Wi-Fi access point.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the Wi-Fi service token comprises a one-time use token.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein to determine the pseudonym based on the Wi-Fi service token, the processing element is further configured to cause the wireless station to:

provide the one-time use token to the Wi-Fi access point; and

receive the pseudonym for obtaining Wi-Fi access from the Wi-Fi access point in response to providing the one-time use token.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the Wi-Fi service token comprises the pseudonym for obtaining Wi-Fi access.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the authentication with the carrier network entitlement server is performed by way of a cellular base station using a cellular communication technology.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the authentication comprises extensible authentication protocol (EAP) authentication.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing element is further configured to cause the wireless station to:

determine to renew the Wi-Fi service token based at least in part on an expiration time of the Wi-Fi service token;

request a Wi-Fi service renewal token from the carrier network entitlement server;

receive the Wi-Fi service renewal token from the carrier network entitlement server; and

renew the Wi-Fi authentication with the Wi-Fi access point using the Wi-Fi service renewal token.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing element is further configured to cause the wireless station to:

receive, from the Wi-Fi access point, a request for a permanent identifier, wherein the request for the permanent identifier is received based at least in part on expiration of the Wi-Fi service token;

provide a client error indication to the Wi-Fi access point in response to the request for a permanent identifier;

request, using a protocol other than Wi-Fi, a Wi-Fi service renewal token from the carrier network entitlement server based at least in part on receiving the request for the permanent identifier;

receive the Wi-Fi service renewal token from the carrier network entitlement server; and

perform Wi-Fi authentication with the Wi-Fi access point using the Wi-Fi service renewal token.

9. A wireless station, comprising:

at least one antenna;

at least one wireless interface communicatively coupled to the at least one antenna; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one wireless interface;

wherein the wireless station is configured to:

request to connect to a carrier network via a Wi-Fi access point, wherein the Wi-Fi access point is associated with the carrier network;

receive, from the Wi-Fi access point, a request for an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the wireless station in response to the request to connect;

authenticate with a carrier network entitlement server, using a protocol other than Wi-Fi, and request a Wi-Fi service token from the carrier network via the carrier network entitlement server;

receive the Wi-Fi service token from the entitlement server using the protocol other than Wi-Fi;

determine a pseudonym for Wi-Fi access based at least in part on the Wi-Fi service token; and

perform Wi-Fi authentication with the Wi-Fi access point using the pseudonym for Wi-Fi access and without providing the IMSI.

10. The wireless station of claim 9 ,

wherein requesting the Wi-Fi service token further comprises requesting the Wi-Fi service token using a cellular communication protocol.

11. The wireless station of claim 9 ,

wherein the authentication comprises one of:

extensible authentication protocol for subscriber identity modules (EAP-SIM) authentication; or

extensible authentication protocol authentication and key agreement (EAP-AKA) authentication.

12. The wireless station of claim 9 ,

wherein the Wi-Fi service token comprises one of:

the pseudonym for Wi-Fi access; or

a one-time use token.

13. The wireless station of claim 12 ,

wherein the Wi-Fi service token comprises a one-time use token,

wherein to determine the pseudonym for Wi-Fi access the wireless station is further configured to:

provide the one-time use token to the Wi-Fi access point; and

receive the pseudonym for obtaining Wi-Fi access from the Wi-Fi access point in response to providing the one-time use token.

14. The wireless station of claim 12 ,

wherein the Wi-Fi service token comprises the pseudonym.

15. The wireless station of claim 9 ,

wherein the wireless station is further configured to:

determine to renew the Wi-Fi service token based at least in part on an expiration time of the Wi-Fi service token;

request a Wi-Fi service renewal token from the carrier network entitlement server;

receive the Wi-Fi service renewal token from the carrier network entitlement server; and

renew the Wi-Fi authentication with the Wi-Fi access point using the Wi-Fi service renewal token.

16. A method for operating a carrier network, the method, comprising:

receiving, from a wireless station, a request to connect to the carrier network via a Wi-Fi access point associated with the carrier network;

transmitting, from the Wi-Fi access point to the wireless station, a request for an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) responsive to the connection request;

performing, via an entitlement server of the carrier network, authentication with the wireless station using a wireless communication protocol other than Wi-Fi, wherein the authentication comprises transmitting, to the wireless station, a Wi-Fi service token using the wireless communication protocol other than Wi-Fi;

performing, via the Wi-Fi access point, Wi-Fi authentication with the wireless station, using the pseudonym and without receiving the requested IMSI via the Wi-Fi access point; and

communicating, upon Wi-Fi authentication, with the carrier network through the Wi-Fi access point.

17. The method of claim 16 ,

wherein the authentication with the wireless station using a wireless communication protocol other than Wi-Fi is performed by way of a cellular base station; and

wherein the Wi-Fi service token is provided to the wireless station by way of a cellular base station.

18. The method of claim 16 ,

wherein the authentication with the wireless station using a wireless communication protocol other than Wi-Fi is performed using extensible authentication protocol (EAP) authentication.

19. The method of claim 16 ,

wherein the Wi-Fi service token comprises a one-time use token.

20. The method of claim 16 ,

wherein the Wi-Fi service token comprises the pseudonym.