You can’t see, touch or smell Wi-Fi, yet everyone in a school knows immediately when it is not there. To a student, it is as important as a pen or pencil. To a teacher, it is imperative to have access to infinite online resources that optimize learning, removing pressure from the teacher to literally know everything. To an administrator, it enables them to run the business of managing a facility with a thousand or more people; it is critical to ensure that school staff, student and guest traffic are prioritized and managed uniquely.
Wi-Fi is a means for students to grow their knowledge according to their capabilities. Online education resources enable personalized, self-paced learning to keep every student challenged and engaged. As a result, teachers can easily identify those who may be falling behind.
Wi-Fi That Just Works
Winston Way Academy in the U.K. had a lot of problems with their first instance of school-wide Wi-Fi. Now that they have migrated to a solution from Cambium Networks, no one talks about Wi-Fi anymore because it just works, which should be the main goal for any technology solution. At the City of London School for Girls, anywhere from 300 to more than 1,000 devices are connected at any one time. It has been a quick and efficient process to get students on board with little, if not, zero touch. For their staff, this means that the Wi-Fi network runs in the background with no issues.
Teachers are under constant pressure to create a positive and dynamic learning experience. Technology is a key piece of that puzzle. No one wants a Wi-Fi network that is burden to maintain or interferes with the learning environment. No teacher wants to encounter a Wi-Fi outage and have to shift into IT troubleshooting mode with dozens of students in the classroom losing interest. A teacher’s job is to provide their students with an enriching education, and when Wi-Fi works, their lesson plans are interactive and engaging.
As for administrators, a Wi-Fi network should be “set and forget.” Uninterrupted connectivity to offices and the school is a top priority for institutions that rely on digital learning.
A Completely Connected Campus
We recently published a case study on the now fully connected University of Mwaro in Burundi. With e-learning in its early stages in Burundi, Wi-Fi access makes all the difference for students, teachers and administration. These are healthcare students who now have equal access to educational information with a Gigabit wireless network. With more educational material at their fingertips, Burundi’s next generation of healthcare workers can enter the workforce with more knowledge than ever.
The University of Mwaro’s network consists of:
- 2 ePMP™ 5 GHz Access Points (AP)
- 4 ePMP Subscriber Modules (SM)
- 11 e600 Enterprise Indoor Wi-Fi Access Points
- 2 cnMatrix™ EX2010-P Switches
This combination of solutions, plus Cambium Networks’ end-to-end monitoring and management software, cnMaestro™, provides a highly unified wireless network. After their break in classes, students will return to a completely connected campus this month. Areas including classrooms, lecture halls, administrative offices, the library and the clinic have access to Wi-Fi. Administration is impressed with the network and its range of coverage. We cannot wait to see how their students and teachers will benefit from the network in the long run.
Case Study: Read more about the University of Mwaro deployment here.
Maximize Learning With Robust and Reliable Wi-Fi
Students and teachers shouldn’t have to struggle to load videos, download educational material or send an email. That’s valuable time lost that could be spent participating in classroom discussions and maximizing learning time.
Are you seeking a Wi-Fi solution that just works? If you’re looking to transform your school or higher education campus’ network, consider our simple, scalable and economical education Wi-Fi solutions. We are here to enable school administrators and educators to increase learning opportunities for their students. If you have questions or comments, don’t hesitate to connect with me or other Cambium Networks contacts.
Bryan Sheppeck
SVP, WW Cambium Sales
bryan.sheppeck@cambiumnetworks.com