System, apparatus and method for sim-based authentication and encryption in wireless local area network access

A method in a telecommunication system for allowing a SIM-based authentication to users of a wireless local area network who are subscribers of a public land mobile network, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) a wireless terminal accessing the wireless local area network through an accessible Access Point;
• (b) discovering an Access Controller interposed between the Access Point and the public land mobile network from the wireless terminal;
• (c) carrying out a challenge-response authentication procedure between the wireless terminal and the public land mobile network through the Access Controller, the wireless terminal provided with a SIM card and adapted for reading data thereof;
• the method characterized in that the challenge-response authentication submissions in step c) take place before having provided IP connectivity to the user, and are carried:
• on top of a Point-to-Point layer 2 protocol (PPPOE) between the wireless terminal and the Access Controller;
• and
• on an authentication protocol residing at application layer between the public land mobile network and the Access Controller;
• and
• the method further comprises a step of:
• (d) offering IP connectivity to the user at the wireless terminal, by sending an assigned IP address and other network configuration parameters, once said user has been validly authenticated by the public land mobile network.