In 2002, it all began with a six-country project, including Portugal. We explore the history of eduroam, the network managed in Portugal by the FCCN Unit of the Foundation for Science and Technology.
It's likely that the vast majority of students, regardless of age or field of study, have already said the following words: "I'm connected to eduroam." In Portugal, this possibility arrived about two decades ago, when it joined the group of six "pioneering" countries of this initiative, along with the Netherlands, Finland, Croatia, and the United Kingdom. Since then, this number has grown. A lot.
Today, the network eduroam reaches over 100 countries, fulfilling its initial objective, according to the FCT: "to provide the academic community with a mobility service," guaranteeing internet access to higher education and research institutions. In total, there are over 10,000 eduroam hotspots. In Portugal, according to official figures, there are 79 participating institutions, totaling 163 access points nationwide.
In an interview published on fccn.ptOn the occasion of eduroam's 20th anniversary, the service's founder, Klaas Wierenga, highlighted the role of Portugal and FCCN during the project's early stages. "During the Portuguese presidency of the European Union, FCCN and the University of Porto championed the first result of the eduroam production service with a national dimension," he says, emphasizing: "This ultimately demonstrated that eduroam was viable on a 'serious' scale."
Thus, thousands of students, faculty, and other professionals in higher education and scientific research use this network every day. However, eduroam's connectivity isn't limited to higher education institutions. In addition to 4,000 public buildings, this network also operates in approximately 40 international airports.
Who manages eduroam?
In Portugal, the management and monitoring of eduroam is carried out by FCCN Unit of the Foundation for Science and Technology, which is responsible for responding to the needs of the student, teaching, and research community, particularly in the areas of computing, security, and connectivity. You can learn more about this and other student services at https://www.fccn.pt/ensino-superior/estudantes/.
