Transforming the learner experience by extending eduroam across the campus and beyond

In an ideal world, learners should be able to connect 24/7 to their institution’s resources – and stay connected.

In the real world, however, they might not be able to get a seat in the college or university library, or they might need to work in a public library or at home. They might have to travel to another campus or spend an hour on the bus home – time that could be usefully spent catching up on studying.

And every time they move location they lose connection, which means searching again for free wifi and re-authenticating.

It’s a long way from the ideal of ‘zero touch’ connectivity.

Deliver a consistently positive experience for learners

To address this problem, Jisc now offers a cost-effective new way to enable easy, seamless digital access for learning, teaching and research across the campus and beyond.

Making use of the trusted eduroam service – which any organisation connected to the Janet Network is eligible to use as part of their Jisc membership – extending eduroam now provides internet connectivity for students and staff wherever they are: in public libraries, sports facilities, at home or even on public transport.

Simply by opening their laptop, tablet or phone, users can gain access to any eduroam-enabled site, increasing the scope of placers learners can connect. Some 560 organisations across the UK already offer the service from more than 2,000 eduroam hotspots – and now extending eduroam also makes the service available in areas where there is only cellular connectivity.

The ability to use a single wifi profile ensures a consistently positive experience for learners.

Make seamless wifi connectivity available anywhere

Working with world-class technology partners Cradlepoint (part of Ericsson) and Sky Business, Jisc has developed a range of portable devices that use 4G and 5G cellular connectivity to extend eduroam access beyond the existing fibre infrastructure.

These extending eduroam devices leverage Cradlepoint’s innovative solutions to make seamless wifi connectivity available in off-campus locations where internet connections are unavailable, unreliable or unauthenticated. This provides safe, authenticated access to digital learning beyond the limits of the campus.

Bring digital equity a step closer

Making eduroam available in student accommodation and transport networks and in places like libraries, community centres and other public buildings massively extends access to ‘zero touch’ internet connectivity for students and education sector staff who, for whatever reason, are not on campus.

And, for learners who don’t have an internet connection at home, whose broadband connection is poor, or who can’t afford the data roaming costs, extending eduroam delivers free access to educational resources, bringing digital equity a step closer.

Getting started is easy

The extending eduroam range includes easy-to-install devices that can handle anything up to 100 users at a time. One model, which is small enough to fit into a rucksack, provides cellular connectivity for up to five users in student accommodation, small study spaces or remote locations, for example when they are researching in the field. Another version specifically for in-vehicle use could extend access to eduroam for commuter students.

The devices will be delivered by Sky Business. All the user has to do to get started is plug their device into a power supply and locate it by a window to ensure cellular connectivity to the external mast.

Reaching for the sky

The potential for extending eduroam to expand the boundaries of connectivity is massive and far-reaching.

To prove it, we’ve demonstrated that Jisc’s eduroam service can successfully connect to the Starlink satellite internet service, and we’re exploring other satellite internet services too. This opens up the possibility that eduroam could be made available to UK educators and researchers anywhere on the planet with a clear view of the sky.

Find out more

• Join our online webinar introducing extending eduroam: learning beyond the campus, on Thursday 23 May.
• Sign up for Connect More and Networkshop 2024.