VT football fan using a cell phone
A spectator talks on the phone during a VT football game.

A new guest Wi-Fi service called VT Open WiFi was implemented at the end of FY 2024 and launched campus-wide on July 8, 2024. VT Open WiFi simplifies visitor access to the internet from mobile devices by removing the need for user credentials.

The guest service also allows Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff to connect SmartTVs, gaming systems, streaming media devices, smart speakers, and other ‘Internet of Things’ devices without needing to register these devices ahead of time. 

The simplicity of accessing the new guest wireless service reduces administrative demands and the number of support calls while lowering operating costs and enhancing the user experience in a technological environment where a growing number and types of devices require internet connections. Students, faculty, and staff continue to use eduroam, the university’s primary network for educational, research, and business purposes, to connect primary devices, ensuring full access to Virginia Tech’s academic and administrative services. 

The Division of IT promoted the new VT Open WiFI service during the fall 2024 move-in, hosting an information booth where we educated new students and parents about the availability of VT Open WiFI and eduroam and the intended use for each.