Government of Canada Wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi)  

"Government of Canada Wi-Fi" describes all of the wireless connectivity services offered at ESDC locations. This umbrella term includes the following:

• Employee Wi-Fi (ESDC Wi-Fi): this is the wireless network connectivity service for ESDC employees, available since 2015. All ESDC mobile computing devices (i.e. laptops and tablets) are equipped to use this service.
• Guest Wi-Fi: this is the wireless Internet connectivity service for guests of ESDC, who require an Internet connection to connect to their own department's or agency's network. This is a relatively newer service, introduced in 2018.

Originally, the term "GC Wi-Fi" was being used in ESDC only to describe Employee Wi-Fi. Since 2018, this is no longer accurate. Whenever you see this term now, it is referring to all Government of Canada Wi-Fi services.

Public Wi-Fi is something else, a blanket term used to describe any wireless Internet connectivity that is offered in a public location outside of ESDC. Some employees (e.g. teleworkers) use public Wi-Fi to reach the ESDC network from one of these locations, with the assistance of VPN or AppGate software.

Employee Wi-Fi is available in specific work locations. Please refer to the Government of Canada Wi-Fi Locations to find a location near you, or to where you may be traveling.

Some of these locations also offer Guest Wi-Fi for visitors to ESDC, also identified in the spreadsheet linked to above.

• How do I connect to Government of Canada Wi-Fi?

  All ESDC laptops and tablets used by employees will connect to Employee Wi-Fi automatically when they are within range of the service. You will be required to enter your network username and password if you are not already logged in. You can confirm your Employee Wi-Fi connection is working by observing the status of the connectivity icon in the Windows system tray (bottom-right corner of your screen).

  Guest Wi-Fi requires an authorized ESDC requestor (i.e. manager or above, or their delegate) to submit an online request in advance to the National Service Desk for a Guest Wi-Fi username and password that will be provided to the expected guest. There are also certain hardware and knowledge requirements for guests of ESDC who use this service; see the Guest Wi-Fi User Guide for more information.

  Note: Wireless connectivity is not available for employees' mobile cellular devices, desktop computers, or any personal devices not approved for teleworking.

• When I need to connect, should I choose "ESDC" or "GC Wi-Fi"?

  When you are in a location offering one or both of these services, you will find the corresponding option(s) in the system tray (bottom-right corner of your Windows taskbar). Select the scale icon to view the options at your location. If you do not see a scale icon, neither service is available.

  • "ESDC" - All ESDC laptops and tablets used by employees should connect to Employee Wi-Fi automatically when they are within range of the service. If you need to launch or restart this connection to the ESDC electronic network, you should select this option.
  • "GC Wi-Fi" - Guests of ESDC who are using Guest Wi-Fi are directed to select this option, as described in the Guest Wi-Fi User Guide.
• What happens if I leave an enabled area with my connected device?

  Your wireless connection will be lost if you carry your portable computing device outside of an area supported by Employee Wi-Fi, but it will reconnect if/when you return to the same or another area with this service within thirty minutes. If you are beyond its range for more than thirty minutes, you will need to login again with the correct username and password.

  If you are using Guest Wi-Fi and move beyond its service range, any VPN connection you are using will be lost. You will need to move back within the service range for Guest Wi-Fi before you can reconnect.

• Can my device receive system updates over Employee Wi-Fi?

  Yes. ESDC mobile devices that are logged out but left powered on and within range of the Employee Wi-Fi service will receive the same security and software updates as any other device that is connected to the network.

All ESDC laptops and tablets are equipped to use Employee Wi-Fi (ESDC Wi-Fi) automatically when within its range. Anyone with an ESDC network username and password can use Employee Wi-Fi using one of these devices.

Any visitor to the department can use Guest Wi-Fi within range of this service, provided their device is adequately equipped and that they have received a Guest Wi-Fi account. This account must be requested by an authorized ESDC requestor (i.e. manager or above, or their delegate) from the National Service Desk). Note that this request should be submitted well in advance of the visit. See the Guest Wi-Fi User Guide for more information.

Conversations continue with Shared Services Canada (SSC) about when they may be in a position to enable this service in other ESDC locations.

Additional Government of Canada Wi-Fi expansion can be discussed with your IITB Business Integration and Alignment (BIA) Executive (DOC, 144 KB) assigned to your branch or region. Inform them of your interest, and identify your location.

Note that there is a significant cost for any new installation, both to install the new hardware required and for ongoing annual support. Departmental approval will be required before the submission of a formal request to Shared Services Canada, along with a Business Requirement Document (BRD).