SERVICES EDUROAM BEYOND THE CAMPUS

David Foster, Deputy head of the IT both the country’s second-largest town Words WHAT IS EDUROAM? department at CERN, underlines the Esch-sur-Alzette and Luxembourg Karim Mostafi, importance of eduroam: “Collaboration offer eduroam. GÉANT eduroam (education roaming) is is fundamental to global research and the secure, worldwide roaming CERN is a first class example of global THE NETHERLANDS access service developed for the science collaboration. It is important SURFnet, the Dutch NREN and inventor international research and then that the tools and infrastructure that of eduroam, has of course adopted it education community. Since its facilitate global collaboration are right from the start. Throughout the launch in in 2003, developed and deployed. This is why country, eduroam is heavily used in eduroam has gained popularity CERN supports the ability for education and research institutions. A throughout the research and researchers to be connected wherever good example is the ROC Midden- education community and is now they are, and eduroam is key to getting Nederland school. They are one of the available in 74 territories connectivity, anywhere, anytime, in a biggest educational organisations in the worldwide. eduroam allows trusted and easy manner. The Netherlands, catering to over 28,000 students, researchers and staff installation of eduroam at Geneva airport students, and they’ve been using from participating institutions to is a great service for the many eduroam for over ten years. obtain internet connectivity across researchers and students that travel to Frank Pinxt, ICT Manager at ROC campus and when visiting other and from CERN and extends the reach Midden-Nederland says, “We’re very participating institutions quickly of eduroam in Switzerland.” happy with eduroam, especially since and easily without the need to find our organisation doesn’t need to local login details. The next step configure and maintain it. On top of that, for eduroam is to further expand In Norway, the use of eduroam is even outages are almost non-existent. into public places, to provide an more widespread: the nineteen biggest Another benefit is that we can use ever-increasing mobile platform airports in the country all offer the eduroam outside of the school premises for its users. service. Additionally, in several towns as well. Recently, I experienced this there’s eduroam coverage in public myself, when I had to visit a hospital in spaces, offered by the local university. Aarhus (). When I was waiting “Trådløse Trondheim” (Wireless in the hallway, all of a sudden I saw EUROPE LEADING THE Trondheim) provides coverage at a email messages coming in, and I WAY IN EDUROAM number of addresses throughout the discovered I was automatically city and a similar solution is provided in connected to eduroam.” ACCESS Kristiansand. Similarly, eduroam is eduroam has grown substantially over provided in a number of hospitals more than a decade and now GÉANT throughout the country. In the future, wants to push the boundaries further by UNINETT hopes to expand the service EDUROAM VISITOR inviting public, commercial and city to secondary schools as well. Wi-Fi initiatives to offer the service. ACCESS (EVA) Already eduroam can be found in LUXEMBOURG Institutions in the Netherlands can airports, city centres and other public The ability to expand eduroam beyond now offer eduroam to visitors too, spaces throughout Europe. Some the education community is by using the eduroam Visitor forerunners can be found in Switzerland, successfully demonstrated in Access service. Since February Norway, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, where a partnership exists 2015 the ROC MN school is and in . between RESTENA (the Luxembourg offering eVA through reception NREN) and hotcity S.A. which owns a desks in all school buildings, which SWITZERLAND Wi-Fi infrastructure in many places, are spread over six towns SWITCH, the Swiss National Research including the downtown areas of the throughout the country. Temporary and Education Network (NREN) has major cities. This partnership delivers personal visitor accounts are given pushed the eduroam service beyond eduroam to a big percentage of the to individuals. It is also possible to universities, schools and research labs. Luxembourg populace in densely provide secure eduroam access to In Switzerland, you can also use populated areas. eduroam usage data large groups of visitors during eduroam in the university hospital of (March-July 2014) shows that on events and seminars. Frank Pinxt, Bern, in libraries (Zentralbibliothek, average more than 10,000 distinct ICT Manager at ROC MN: “Visitors Zürich; Pädagogisches Zentrum, Basel- devices are connected in any given are very happy with this service, Stadt / Bibliothek) and last but not least month, most of which belong to and it works great!” at Geneva Airport. students of the University of Luxembourg. Outside of the capital,

16 CONNECT ISSUE 20 2015 SERVICES EDUROAM CONQUERS SWEDEN weden is a worldwide leader Pär Weilow is the Product Owner when it comes to public ICT in charge of mobile solutions at infrastructure, and so it’s easy Airport Telecom AB. He to understand why it’s one of notices a keen demand for the service. Sthe leading countries in offering “In May 2012 we started offering free eduroam in public spaces. Wi-Fi connections to all visitors eduroam was initially offered to throughout all Swedavia airports. At Swedish universities and colleges, and that point, we had to restrict the usage, almost all of them run eduroam today. but that was not a popular move. More than 100,000 unique devices are Despite quite generous amounts of authenticated per month, roughly data we soon got feedback from many 500,000 individuals are active within customers about the data limitations. higher education in Sweden. The But, when we launched eduroam the implementation and usage of eduroam complaints almost disappeared. It in Sweden has indeed been a great turns out it was mostly students success, but Sweden is aiming complaining about restricted usage of even higher. Wi-Fi. Overall, airport visitors are a The Swedish National Research crowd that expect excellence, and Wi- and Education Network SUNET sought Fi is an extremely important part of the a partner to provide eduroam in places experience. So, today we are very where students hang out outside happy to be able to offer eduroam Some of the commercial venues providing eduroam normal campus areas. The solution together with SUNET and The Cloud.” in Sweden: that was chosen is to offer eduroam via Roald Sandén, General Manager SUNET’s provider The Cloud through of The Cloud Nordics adds: ”The Hotels: their existing access points, says Valter benefit from the eduroam service is Best Western Park Inn Nordh who is in charge of eduroam at apparent not only for the users, but Clarion Radisson SUNET, Sweden. also for our venue partners in all First Hotel Quality Hotel The first places targeted were segments.” He continues: ”The travel hubs, such as airports and transport segment where we cover the Restaurants, cafés & bars: railway stations. Today, SUNET can airports in cooperation with Airport Burger King O’Learys provide eduroam in 934 locations Telecom, and the railway stations in Starbucks Stars and Stripes through 16,146 access points all over cooperation with Jernhusen was the Barista Sweden. The locations are universities initial focus, but the benefit of offering Swedavia AB is a Swedish nationally owned and colleges, municipalities as well as services in the public, hospitality, and company, which owns and operates the ten major commercial venues. City centers, retail/fast food sectors is also obvious airports of Sweden: railway stations, ten of Sweden’s for our partners in those segments.” airports, ferry terminals, municipal What is in the pipeline when it Åre Östersund Airport buses and libraries. Hotels, fast food comes to eduroam? The target is -Landvetter Airport restaurants, cafés, gas stations and threefold: Increasing awareness about Airport malls also offer connection through eduroam amongst students, looking Luleå Airport eduroam. into monitoring of the service and Malmö Airport Arlanda Airport is the setting up automatic testing. “Two very biggest airport in Sweden with more exiting things ahead are firstly, an Stockholm-Arlanda Airport than 22 million passengers on a yearly agreement with the Swedish school Stockholm-Bromma Airport (2014) basis. Stockholm Arlanda federation in order to provide eduroam Umeå Airport Airport is operated by Swedavia AB, a in all elementary schools, says Maria Airport Swedish nationally owned company Häll, in charge of SUNET. “And that owns and runs ten major airports. secondly, we need to make a new Links: In total more than 35 million eduroam procurement, within a couple https://meta.eduroam.se/ passengers are travelling from of years from now.” http://www.thecloud.net/ Swedavias ten airports (2014). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedavia

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