Indiana University is working with AT&T* to provide its campus visitors with access to AT&T Wi-Fi service. The university currently provides a secure wireless network to all Indiana University staff, faculty, and students for business and educational use. Now, as a result of a competitive bid process, IU's Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses are also offering AT&T Wi-Fi capabilities to campus visitors in the university's public areas, including academic buildings, libraries, arts venues, conference centers and the IU Innovation Center. Campuses in New Albany, Kokomo, Gary, and South Bend have the option to offer these services in the future.
Parents, prospective students, and other visitors now have easy access to broadband on the go with their Wi-Fi enabled devices. For a visiting scholar conducting research in the library, an arts patron attending a performance, or a high school student exploring IU campuses, Wi-Fi is a fast, reliable, and convenient way to access the Internet and view information about academic programs or other university information.
Visitors with qualifying AT&T smartphone, 3G LaptopConnect, and high-speed Internet plans can access AT&T Wi-Fi on IU's Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses at no additional charge; other visitors will incur a nominal fee. AT&T will provide around-the-clock technical support for anyone needing help connecting to the AT&T Wi-Fi network while on campus.
“Network connectivity, both wired and wireless, has long been a strength on our campuses, and this new agreement represents the next logical step in our long-term strategy,” said IU Associate Vice President for Communications and Support Sue B. Workman. "We know that AT&T Wi-Fi services will be useful for helping our campus guests stay connected to family, friends, and work during their visit—whether they're on campus for move-in and orientation, a sporting event, a performance, a conference, or a reunion. We're happy that our ongoing relationship with AT&T can help deliver this service and convenience to our extended university family.”
Wi-Fi plays an important role in mobilizing everything for our customers. It complements AT&T's wired and mobile broadband networks and bridges the gap between connectivity at home and on the go. AT&T owns and operates the nation's largest Wi-Fi network**, with more than 23,000 U.S. hotspots at popular locations like retail stores, restaurants, and coffee shops. The popularity of Wi-Fi service — particularly on mobile phones — has grown tremendously. In the second quarter 2010, AT&T handled 68.1 million Wi-Fi connections on its network, compared to just 15 million in the same quarter last year. Customers have made 121.2 million connections in the first half of 2010, already far surpassing the 85.5 million connections made in all of 2009. For more information, visit Indiana University or AT&T Wi-Fi Access.
