New and improved Wi-Fi now available at Tribute Tower and Juno Tower
By Kathryn Gatien,
CFB Halifax Public Affairs
There are many projects taking place in facilities across Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax right now including some that – despite their significance – are practically invisible! One such project is the implementation of improved Wi-Fi inside Tribute Tower and Juno Tower, an initiative that started in late 2022 and was recently completed in November 2023.
Tribute Tower and Juno Tower are two of CFB Halifax’s four accommodations facilities meant to house military personnel short-term while they complete or teach mandatory training courses at CFB Halifax or while conducting operational taskings. Several years ago the Base Commander at the time identified that the existing Wi-Fi provided in these facilities was not robust enough for their live-in members. This led Base Information Services (BIS) to investigate whether there was a way to provide members with a better user experience.
From there, BIS worked with Shared Services Canada to install a commercial Wi-Fi service which would provide users with the same type of Wi-Fi they have at home.
Now that the improved Wi-Fi capability is in place, anyone transiting through these two accommodations buildings can use the Wi-Fi as it’s available throughout the building’s shared spaces and individual quarters. All you have to do in order to connect is search for the CFB Halifax SSID Wi-Fi network on your device and it will appear as CFB Halifax QOL. Simply read and accept the user agreement; there is no password!
Jason Barker is the BIS Project Manager who was directly responsible for this project, a role that saw him manage coordination between CFB Halifax, Shared Services Canada, and contractors to ensure the installation was completed. He said he’s proud knowing that he provided CFB Halifax members living in the accommodations buildings with a reliable, fast, and usable Wi-Fi service, though acknowledged he certainly didn’t work alone. Barker highlighted the work of BIS Halifax Project Management Office (PMO) Marion Gillespie and Shared Services Canada (SSC) Wi-Fi service delivery manager Mr. Ron Bula while thanking the BIS Halifax Network Services team for their assistance in trouble shooting connections during the installation.
In addition to Juno and Tribute Towers, Russell House and Warrior Block in Shearwater also have Commercial Wi-Fi for their residents. The Wi-Fi network name for Warrior Block is “DND-Shearwater-Wireless Wifi”.
So, what’s next? BIS Halifax is hoping to add Commercial Wi-Fi to more buildings across CFB Halifax starting in 2024. They are also investigating other locations within the Dockyard and at Willow and Windsor Park while looking at costs with SSC to ensure budgets can be created to allow for this type of service in the coming years.
