New eduroam service turns Mississauga into a “virtual campus”

The City of Mississauga, in partnership with the University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College, is the first Canadian city to make the eduroam service available to its student population.

Set to launch on May 1, 2017, the eduroam “virtual campus” is a secure, worldwide roaming service that enables post-secondary students to connect to school resources anywhere in the world from Mississauga city facilities where Wi-Fi access is available.

“The University of Toronto Mississauga applauds Mississauga’s new virtual campus,” says Professor Ulrich Krull, interim vice-president, U of T, and principal, UTM. “Students and faculty members from UTM, and post-secondary visitors from around the world, will benefit by having direct access to online institutional resources at the City of Mississauga locations such as libraries, community centres, arenas, transit terminals and public spaces. By implementing eduroam, the City has created a virtual campus that helps position Mississauga as a global hub of creative and innovative activity where talent can thrive.”

“Technology plays a significant role in enabling a connected and engaged city,” says Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “The progress we are making through our innovated IT Master Plan positions the city as a leader in Smart City technology. It is also a large part of what makes Mississauga a great place to live, work, attend school or do business.”

Available in more than 70 countries and at 17,000 locations worldwide, eduroam is a secure access service that allows any user from a participating site to get network access at any institution connected to the service. “The initiative positions the city as a leader in providing access that supports learning, innovation and collaboration in our facilities an public spaces,” says Shawn Slack, chief information officer with the City.