Council partners with UNE to bridge town and gown with access to Eduroam

Armidale Regional Council

Since the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding with UNE, Council has been actively involved in re-establishing partnerships with UNE and ensuring the city and the university forge ahead with initiatives that support greater collaboration and better outcomes for students, staff and the city.

Students and staff at the University of New England (UNE) can now access their own high speed secure wireless network in the central Armidale Mall, The Armidale War Memorial Library and at the Armidale Regional Airport.

Eduroam is a secure global roaming network that is currently available to all enrolled students, researchers, faculty and staff at UNE who have a current username and password. In fact, it is available to all participating institutions across Australia.

Armidale Mayor Sam Coupland said the rollout of wireless Eduroam hotspots at community facilities in Armidale provided a great opportunity for users to access their academic resources, including journals, research papers and course notes throughout the city and which will encourage greater precinct activation.

“We want the UNE community to feel welcome in our city and we need to provide every opportunity for them, as well as those traveling from other universities, to enjoy our facilities like the Armidale Mall, our library and the airport,” said Mayor Coupland.

“There is a geographical divide between the city and where the UNE campus is located and a perception of a divide too great. This is just not the case. Eduroam is just one example where Council is partnering with UNE to bridge this perceived divide. Establishing the UNE SMART Region Incubator at the NOVA in the CBD, having regular dialogue around events and sustainability initiatives is strengthening this partnership. And now, there is no better time to enjoy our wonderful city, have a coffee or a meal while accessing quality high speed internet.”

If you are not connected to an institution that provides Eduroam access, Council does have free wifi available to residents and visitors at our libraries, in the Armidale Central Mall and at the airport.

/Public Release. View in full here.