Oman airport introduces eduroam

Students and academic staffers can now enjoy easy internet access at the Muscat International Airport of the Sultanate of Oman as the eduroam service has been made available at the airport premises. Eduroam is the secure, worldwide Wi-Fi roaming service developed for the international research and education community.

The service allows students, researchers, and staff from participating institutions to get internet connectivity across campuses and when visiting other participating institutions and locations where eduroam is available. The Oman airport initiative is a collaboration between OMREN, the national research and education network (NREN) of Oman, and the Oman Airports Company.

Launched in 2003 in Croatia, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, eduroam is now available in 106 territories worldwide. The user will connect to the authenticated network with pre-configured credentials from his or her home institution.

The user credentials are not shared with the access point but forwarded securely to the user’s home institution, where they can be verified and validated. With growing concerns around data protection and online safety, these features are set up to make sure accessing learning content online is far more secure than typical commercial hotspots.

Covering 36 locations across the Sultanate

Currently, the eduroam service is available at 36 strategic locations across Oman, including universities, colleges, and research centers. The service allows students and staff from the OMREN member institutions to connect to stable and fast internet services at their respective campuses, but also when visiting other participating institutions and thousands of public hotspots around the world.

OMREN (Oman Research and Education Network) provides the research and education community in the Sultanate of Oman with a common network and collaboration infrastructure. Further, OMREN is a member of the Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN).

OMREN plans to expand the eduroam service to more public areas across multiple locations in the Sultanate.

The text is inspired by the article “Muscat International Airport sets new benchmark as the first in the Middle East to offer eduroam service” at the ASREN website.