Witsies can now access eduroam wi-fi networks in SA airports
- Wits University
Witsies can access eduroam WiFi at Airport Company of South Africa's airports.
Members of the Wits community can now access eduroam WiFi networks in airports managed by the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA).
eduroam (education roaming) is a secure, world-wide roaming access service developed by the international research and education community. It allows students, researchers, and staff from participating institutions to obtain WiFi access and Internet connectivity at participating service providers simply, securely, and free-of-charge. Roaming is available in over hundred countries worldwide, a growing number of which are in Africa.
The eduroam networks are available to Witsies at the following airports:
- O.R. Tambo international
- Cape Town international
- King Shaka International, Durban
- Bram Fischer International, Bloemfontein
- Chief Dawid Stuurman International, Gqeberha
- Upington International, Upington
- King Phalo Airport, East London
- George Airport, George
- Kimberley Airport, Kimberley
How to connect to eduroam
- On your electronic device, connect to the eduroam network which will appear on your Wi-FI list if it is available in your location.
- It will prompt you for your username and password. Your username is your staffnumber@wits.ac.za (for example A0004867@wits.ac.za) or your studentnumber@wits.ac.za (for example 0406212v@students.wits.ac.za). Your password is the same one that you use to access the Wits network every day.
That's it, you are connected!
Public-private partnership
The public-private partnership between Wits, TENET and ACSA led to the success of eduroam being rolled out to the airports.
Speaking on this milestone, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), Chief Information Officer, Mthoko Mncwabe, said they are constantly looking for ways to enhance passengers' experiences across their airport. “As ACSA we constantly looking at ways to innovate and, in the process, ensure our airport users and passengers have a pleasant experience when they are at our airports. This partnership with Wits University is another example of that.
“Our partnership with Wits and introducing eduroam at our airports is a great example of how well Public Private Partnerships can work, and more importantly it gives us an opportunity to combine the expertise and innovation of private companies with the civic vision that government and state-owned entities provide, resulting in a more resilient and job-creating economy," concluded Mncwabe.
“Having eduroam in airports is a game-changer for students and academics on the go." says TENET's head of trust & identity services, Guy Halse. “It empowers them to access online resources, collaborate with peers, and even participate in classes while traveling." He adds “Although we narrowly missed being the first to deploy eduroam in an airport in Africa, our collaboration with ACSA is by far the most comprehensive. This partnership will showcase South Africa's capability to host and provide world-class infrastructure for research and education, highlighting our commitment to supporting academic pursuits."
“Deploying eduroam at the airports will significantly increases its footprint, allowing travelling students and staff access at no additional cost," says Dr Stanley Mpofu, Chief Information Officer at Wits. “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."
The partnership between Wits and TENET will continue as there are several plans to roll out eduroam in more spaces and places.