[Rdap] COVID-19 Call to Action: eduroam Wi-Fi Access Point Map

[James, Ann]

Opportunity to contribute or share wifi hotspot parking lot map for
institutions participating in the eduroam network to help expand access to
the internet for students who are learning remotely during the pandemic.
Apologies if folks have already seen this elsewhere.

-Ann

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Huffman, John <jnhuffma at udel.edu>
Date: Wed, Jul 29, 2020 at 1:51 PM
Subject: [CaRCC people] COVID-19 Call to Action: eduroam Wi-Fi Access Point
Map
To: people-network at carcc.org <people-network at carcc.org>


Hello all,

While all of us have completed our spring semesters, internet access
remains a concern for students who may be taking online courses this
summer. Access also may be needed in the future for students, depending on
your institution’s current academic plans, as well as back-up plans, for
the fall semester. We are all thinking of ways to allow our students,
especially at risk students, to have access to secure Wi-Fi via eduroam in
a safe and physically-distanced manner. We have been working with other
institutions on a project to address this concern and invite you to
participate.

Today, there is a national map (https://www.incommon.org/eduroam/eduroam
-u-s-locator-map/) of eduroam members. Currently, this map does not provide
specific information that is relevant to students who are seeking secure
Wi-Fi under continued and varying levels of restrictions in their home
states. While restrictions are changing, there are still caps on the number
of people who can convene in one location as well as required
physical-distancing requirements in our classroom spaces which has driven
many of us to consider online offerings. Also, with an anticipated,
potential second wave of COVID-19, many institutions that plan to teach
face to face may move courses online after Thanksgiving.

Our vision is to create an expanded map that would provide students with
clear and easily navigable directions about where to go on our campuses to
access the eduroam service. As such, I am inviting you to join our effort
to create a publicly available map that will indicate “parking lot”
locations for physically-distanced secure Wi-Fi access.  Creating these
“parking lot” locations might require the installation of new wireless
access points or the re-direction of existing wireless access points, as
well as contribution to the eduroam Wi-Fi Access Point Map.  Some may want
to check with institutional leadership before contributing—but do please
note that the eduroam agreement (through Internet2) already requires our
institutions to allow all eduroam members to access the service at
eduroam-enabled
institutions. This defined approach may be a way to ensure that we provide
that service in the safest manner possible.

We are asking that voluntary participants add the following information:


   - Identify “parking lot” locations at their institutions that can be
   accessed and used by eduroam participants
   - Verify that access is available along with any limitations, including
   hours of operation, etc.
   - Provide location information, rules and restrictions, duration of
   availability

For those of you who have been providing safe, drive-up locations this
spring, you know that only a small number of students take advantage of
this access.  However, those who do are those who are in most need of our
assistance.  Your participation could be the difference in a student’s
ability to succeed this summer and possibly this fall.

You may add your information the proposed map via the following form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHX-QxT9sALpjfEfd5SK1Iiz9jg5v_B31ZNLWwsjhiRFCFZg/viewform

A point of contact for technical assistance is available on the form. To
see the current map we are creating, go to  <https://wifi-map.hpc.udel.edu/>
https://wifi-map.hpc.udel.edu/ Please feel free to use this map when
communicating available eduroam locations to your students, faculty and
staff.

Please join this effort!  Feedback on how to organize the effort is
appreciated.

John



*John N. Huffman*
*Director, Research Cyberinfrastructure*
Information Technologies
University of Delaware
302-831-2883

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