News and Events Taranaki’s Primo the first WISP to enable eduroam Regional internet provider Primo has become the first wireless internet service provider (WISP) in the country to enable access to the global roaming service, eduroam. Short for ‘education roaming’, eduroam allows its users to connect to the internet quickly and easily without the need for additional passwords, terms and conditions, or splash pages to navigate. With Primo having enabled the service, eduroam users from anywhere in the world will be able to use Primo’s public wi-fi network for seamless internet access across the Taranaki region. eduroam was developed internationally by GÉANT in Europe, specifically for the research and education community. It has been adopted in more than 100 countries and is available in New Zealand via REANNZ. REANNZ Chief Executive Amber McEwen says key benefits of eduroam are that it removes hassle and supports digital equity. “When people need internet but are away from home or school, they usually hotspot off their phone, which carries a cost, or they need a host password to gain access to a free network. “With eduroam, none of this is required. If your education or research institution has provided you with eduroam, and you are at an eduroam-enabled location, you are immediately connected to the internet without having to even think about it. “This provides practical benefits to students especially. Now they can access the internet quickly and easily over Primo’s public wi-fi network. “But it’s not just Taranaki-based users who benefit; university students on holiday, international researchers in the region, staff visiting from Crown research institutes – all can use eduroam via the Primo network. “We are thrilled to be working alongside Primo to support greater levels of digital inclusion and bring this service to students and researchers in Taranaki.” Primo was established in 2006 and provides both wireless and ultrafast broadband services to thousands of business and rural customers across Taranaki. Talor Green, Senior Network Engineer at Primo says “When Primo first heard about eduroam we knew it would be an excellent fit alongside our community-based Free Public WiFi, supporting not only local but guests and students from around the world! “Deploying and providing this over our existing infrastructure was made easy with the help of REANNZ and it's exciting to see it's already being utilized in the wider Taranaki region." eduroam’s availability is becoming increasingly common in community spaces across Aotearoa such as libraries and museums. In January 2025, Invercargill Airport became the first New Zealand airport to enable eduroam. Find out more about eduroam
