AUT will rely on Reach Wireless to install a campus-wide, commercial hotzone: In the U.S., we're used to universities and other educational institutions installing Wi-Fi as part of their basic infrastructure, including the cost of operation out of their physical plant or IT budget, alum fund, students fees (partly hidden), or other endowments. Auckland, New Zealand's technology institute has turned to commercial operator Reach Wireless, which employs RoamAD's quasi-mesh/cell Wi-Fi architecture, to deploy a hotzone across campus and handle the finances.
AUT will own the infrastructure and carry the hotzone's traffic over its own Internet feed. But Reach Wireless will operate the service, collect fees, and provided customer and billing support. Students and faculty will be charged NZ$16.95 (US$10.50) per month. Existing Reach customers and the general public will also be able to use the campus network. Current subscribers won't pay extra for access; vice-versa, AUT affiliated subscribers will have Reach within reach at a small additional cost off campus.
Here's the kicker from a press release: The network was designed in one day and deployed in less than a week.