The largest WiFi network you may have never heard about is eduroam. This is a global WiFi roaming network operated by and for the educational community. The eduroam network is huge and is currently available at 38,000 locations in over 100 countries and territories. In 2024, the network logged 8.4 billion authentications of users joining an eduroam WiFi network.

In the U.S., over 3,800 locations representing 1,000 educational institutions (universities, colleges, and research facilities) are part of the eduroam network. In recent years, sponsored by the folks at Internet 2, eduroam has been extended to 1,461 hotspots for K-12 schools, libraries, museums, and community spaces. The K-12 eduroam network is active in Arizona, Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Missouri and Wisconsin are in the process of joining the network.

eduroam operates by letting any student with an eduroam password log in to use WiFi at any node on the network. eduroam stresses security for student and their data. Joining the network doesn’t use a web portal and uses end-to-end encryption using 802.1X, which is an industry standard for port-based network access control (PNAC). Each participant organization must operate a RADIUS authentication server, and a request to join the eduroam network is routed to the home institution to verify the authenticity of the user. User data is only stored at the home location, and nothing is kept on the servers at a remote location.

The network can be expanded as needed to handle emergencies. For example, during the pandemic, many participating institutions established eduroam hotspots in parking lots or common spaces in college communities so that students could access the educational WiFi network.

The benefit to students is obvious. A K-12 student who is part of eduroam can gain access at any node on the eduroam network. These may be installed outdoors at all schools in a community, in libraries, or in a public space of some sort. It gives students access to multiple locations to connect to the school network outside of the home. Students on vacation can gain access if they are near any of the many nodes on the network.

There is a major advantage to universities using the system. Visiting students and professors can gain access to free WiFi without having to ask for credentials from the institution they are visiting. eduroam also comes with a full suite of reports on usage and diagnostics for each institution.

eduroam is being used around the world to extend broadband access. This article documents an eduroam effort in Uganda to extend broadband. The typical user in Uganda uses only 1.7 GB per month of broadband due to cost and data caps on WiFi usage. eduroam was originally extended to 300 locations in Kampala, the capital, like libraries, cafes, hostels, and other public spaces. In 2022, eduroam was extended to 18 more towns with support from the Internet Society Foundation BOLT program. To overcome local challenges, many of the 600 remote hotspots are solar-powered.