Extending the reach of eduroam to more airports: Bangladesh and South Africa
eduroam – the free Wi-Fi roaming service for the international research and education community – is available at more than 30 airports around the globe, with new deployments at airports in Bangladesh and South Africa among the latest.
In a revolutionary move towards advancing education and fostering connectivity, the Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN), in cooperation with the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), launched the eduroam service at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and plans to deploy eduroam at other airports in the country, such as the Osmani International Airport, Sylhet, and the Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong.
The activation of eduroam at HSIA signifies a significant step forward for the research and education community. This enables the travelling students and staff to continue their academic and research pursuits without interruption, whether it’s participating in remote lectures, accessing online resources, collaborating with colleagues, or online social interaction with their family or friends. The availability of eduroam at the airport opens up many possibilities for research and education activities and promotes international cooperation and knowledge sharing.
Across the globe, students and staff of South African universities and research institutions, as well as those visiting from other institutions participating in eduroam, are now able to access the eduroam service in all public airports managed by the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA). This is thanks to a partnership between the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), ACSA, and the Tertiary Education and Research Network of South Africa (TENET).
The initiative contributes to a broader expansion of eduroam use in South Africa says Dr. Stanley Mgobansimbi Mpofu, Chief Information Officer at Wits:
“Deploying eduroam at the airports will significantly increase the eduroam footprint, allowing travelling students and staff access at no additional cost. This will improve the experience of university students and staff with the dual benefit of improving their productivity and reducing the burdens of high data costs whilst at the airports.”
Game-changer for access on the go
eduroam in airports is a game-changer for students and academics on the go. It enables them to easily access the internet and online resources at their institutions, collaborate with peers, and participate in classes while travelling. These partnerships to extend the reach of eduroam to airports in Bangladesh and South Africa showcase the world-class infrastructure and technologies national research and education networks develop for the research and education community.
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