IPV is the first organization in Portugal to participate in WBA OpenRoaming
Extreme Networks has implemented support of Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) OpenRoaming at Portugal’s Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (IPV). OpenRoaming, developed by Cisco, allows seamless Wi-Fi onboarding and handoff between Wi-Fi networks. At the campus in Portugal, the technology will enable students, teachers and campus visitors to connect to a high-speed, secure, carrier-grade Wi-Fi 6 network, indoors and outdoors, without experiencing disruption to their wireless network connection.
When the WBA assumed ownership and management of OpenRoaming in 2020, it stated that the move will facilitate the broad adoption of OpenRoaming by new and existing Wi-Fi networks and providers around the world.
“OpenRoaming is key in delivering seamless, secure access to Wi-Fi, which is a necessity for modern higher education institutions like IPV that seek to provide students with the best possible resources for learning,” commented Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance. “WBA members like Extreme are helping deliver reliable, high-speed connectivity around the globe and we are proud to support them as our world becomes more reliant on wireless networks.”
IPV is the first organization in Portugal to participate in WBA OpenRoaming and according to the institute’s Senior Network Administrator Luís Almeida, it is “incredibly excited” about the opportunity.
“This implementation,” he continued, “will improve user experiences for everyone who accesses Wi-Fi on our campus — students, teachers, employees, visitors, and participants in the various national and international conferences we host –—not to mention reduced stress for our IT team in managing the network. Our experience with Extreme throughout this project has been wonderful, and we hope to be an example of what OpenRoaming can achieve for other institutions and communities across Europe as the project continues to grow.”
As mentioned by Almeida, one of the key benefits of OpenRoaming is a reduced demand on IT teams. Previously, European regulations required that IPV’s IT team to add and remove network users manually, including staff members and students, making it complicated to access Wi-Fi on campus. Now, with students and staff connecting to the network with ease, the campus’ IT team can focus on bigger picture technology questions and updates.
In addition to its work with OpenRoaming, Extreme Networks has been focused on advancing Wi-Fi carrier offload for 4G and 5G networks. In February of 2020, for example, the company linked Verizon’s network its Wi-Fi access points and analytics solution at Super Bowl LIV in Miami.
