In our first blog, we focused on the demands on the campus broadband network to keep pace with the new learning environments made possible by AR, VR and AI. These highly immersive, high-bandwidth applications are not only transforming how students learn, but they’re also transforming where they learn. 

 

The campus is no longer a specific place and the broadband network that supports all facets of the education enterprise – be it a university, a community college, a school district – requires a new strategy if it is going to keep up. 

 

A private cellular network opens opportunities for education CTOs to meet the needs of students and learning. It offers flexibility via a customizable framework that delivers connectivity beyond the campus itself. Finally, unlike legacy networks, a private cellular network offers value added functionality to IoT and operational technologies. The result? More functionality for teachers and administrators and an improved ROI for the bean counters.

 

Unlike commercial carriers, private cellular networks are owned by the campus and controlled by campus. Similar to commercial carriers, private cellular utilizes licensed spectrum, a carrier class radio access network and an EPC core that provides the intelligence of the network. Private cellular allows greater coverage for each access point, especially across outdoor areas. 

 

Where Fiber Ends, Private Cellular Extends 

Private Cellular Network offers a multi-dimensional approach to the campus wireless network. It provides mobility, performance, high security, high-bandwidth, low latency network connectivity and more. 

 

Fiber may be the choice for data transport and bandwidth between buildings. But connectivity needs, especially for today’s students in a post-covid era, know no bounds. Big bandwidth is a requirement in common areas and in residential units on campus and even off campus. Private cellular extends the reach of fiber without the time, expense, and inconvenience of tearing up roads to reach those off campus. 

 

IoT + Private Cellular for Automation & Security

Private cellular adds tremendous value to the school’s operational technology footprint.  Now, instead of operating a separate IoT or LoraWAN network, the campus CTO can layer IOT services on top of Private Cellular and get even more ROI from the network.

 

IoT – the ‘Internet of Things’ – refers to smart devices connected to the internet or private communication networks. Small  IoT sensors can use the same network to share information about their environment in real time. For services and utilities on a campus property, everything is being networked, from trash cans and parking spaces to traffic signals and irrigation. 

 

Reducing operational costs with proactive intelligence made possible by IoT sensors delivers a level of automation and cost savings that most campus technology teams don’t associate with their fiber or Wi-Fi networks. 

 

Want to connect your HVAC systems campus wide? Use your private cellular network as backhaul. Want to connect irrigation sensors for water leak detection indoors and outdoors? The private cellular network is the means for sensitive, campus sensor data to reach the cloud. It is a similar story with access control, dynamic lighting, remote waste management, remote water management, workplace management and more.

 

Your private cellular network allows your team to create a Wi-Fi bubble wherever and whenever you want. Think sporting events, festivals, graduation ceremonies. You can deploy a Private Cellular network to extend the coverage area and ensure that all users have a reliable and fast connection. 

 

Enterprise IoT applications have very different connectivity needs. For many of these applications, high speed and bandwidth are not the top priority, yet the importance of agility, flexibility, scalability, and security of an IoT network is key. 

 

Add Security and Surveillance

Finally, there’s security. An IoT network combined with Private Cellular delivers security services that extend beyond the traditional uses. Think motion sensors for sensitive areas; smart locks for access control, high-definition video monitoring, and automated lighting in remote parking garages. 

 

Internet-connected sensors, smart locks, and location intelligence platforms are making smart campuses safer than ever before. Security personnel can use IoT technology to reduce crime across campus and improve their emergency broadcast systems.

 

The common platform is private cellular: one network to connect IoT, sensors, fiber, as well as students and learning environments across the campus. You can’t get that from Wi-Fi. You can’t get all of that from fiber.

 

Plan for Tomorrow

It’s not enough to plan for the changes in the learning environment. For school and district CTOs to see a healthy ROI on a technology upgrade, the education broadband network is required to offer a lot more than just more bandwidth to students and classrooms. 4G and 5G private networks are a must to connect everything from robots, cameras, signage, and machinery to virtual reality applications. 

What this means is campus CTOs need to develop a strategy for the next education network, and BearCom is uniquely qualified as a trusted partner to go on this journey of discovery, design, and deployment. New demands on the network provide an opportunity for schools to add more functionality and services to their network, which in turn creates a higher ROI for a network upgrade.

 

By making the move to private wireless now, institutions will be ready to support innovative educational, connectivity and campus services that can keep pace with the fast-changing needs of students, instructors, and staff.