If you are a CTO or IT executive at a university, community college, or school district, you are faced with a simple yet daunting question: What do you need from your network to keep pace with the new learning environment made possible by VR, AR, AI and metaverse?

 

Thanks in large part to the lessons learned from Covid, the campus is no longer defined by a physical space. The campus – and in many cases, the school district – is moving toward an environment where students and learning requires a multi-dimensional interactive and immersive network infrastructure.

 

Interactive and immersive technologies, like augmented and virtual reality and esports, are a growing component of K–12 schools. Educators and IT teams are challenged to bring these elements to students as a way to engage them in learning.

 

The campus broadband network is mission critical technology to enable K-12 and higher education institutions to realize the potential of next generation learning and technologies. Schools, much like enterprises, are faced with upgrading to a network architecture that combines high-bandwidth connection speeds with scalable multi-user capacity, ultra-reliability, strong security, pervasive coverage and seamless mobility.

 

A key component of the new education network is a high-performance private wireless network augmenting a fiber broadband connection to provide access to immersive virtual spaces where students can meet, collaborate and learn, anywhere on or off campus.

 

Developing a Strategy with a Trusted Advisor
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.

 

Now is the time for Campus and District CTOs to plan, and here’s why. First, never before (and likely, never again), will there be the level of national and state funding available as there is today to expand broadband and digital infrastructure. Sure, much of the funding is designed for fiber networks, but with the right strategy, funding and capital spend can yield improved mobile services, IoT services, automation and more.

 

Secondly, we are just now in the beginning innings of the AR/VR ballgame in the campus sector. The suppliers of applications that utilize Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and even the metaverse are just starting. Laying an adequate digital foundation for an entire new environment for learning is a prerequisite for a school to compete (and excel) in this environment today as well as later in the decade.

 

Let’s review some of the technologies that can be deployed today that will result in a next education network. In Parts 2 and 3 of the Next Education Network blog, we’ll review additional benefits and services.

 

Wireless:

Wireless is the gateway for new services and innovation. Organizations will need to embrace the differing contexts as well as utilize multiple wireless technologies to deliver connectivity, reliability and services. The roadmaps for key wireless technologies such as 5G and Wi-Fi among others, include new features in sensor networks, location tracking, emergency services, and more.

 

As Gartner notes, “Wireless will not only be a multitechnology medium, it will also be used to sense the environment, provide power where it did not exist and find assets as well as locate people in distress. Wireless can monitor workers to provide a safer environment or optimize the movement of critical assets.”

 

Private Cellular Networks
In the realm of wireless networking, many campus environments are turning to private cellular networks as a next generation platform that provides more than just connectivity. BearCom has designed and deployed private cellular networks for school districts in California and Texas and has the experience and insight to leverage the latest in LTE technology for a private on-campus and off- campus deployment.

 

A private cellular network is exclusively dedicated to a particular business or organization. By complementing their existing Ethernet and Wi-Fi infrastructure with a private, dedicated 4.9G/LTE network, institutions can provide broadband connectivity for everyone and everything and support a new generation of educational applications and campus services.

 

A private network helps ensure that you have consistent, reliable coverage across your entire organization’s footprint, which is especially important for remote locations where there is no public cellular coverage.

 

It can also create a path to 5G, which will take network performance and coverage to new heights and unlock countless possibilities for teaching, learning and operations.

 

Off Campus Network Access
At the very foundation of effective distance learning, is the assurance that every student has suitable internet access readily available to support all their schoolwork and homework assignments.

 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Patterson Unified School District (USD) in Patterson, CA, looked to adopt a hybrid distance learning environment where students would split their time between in-person learning and virtual learning at home.

 

Unfortunately, not all households in the school district had internet access, which put some students at a disadvantage when adapting to distance learning. Others that did have internet access did not have a secure network or had slow and spotty Wi-Fi. To bridge the gap, the USD used the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to fund education technology. With their grant, they turned to BearCom to provide their students with a reliable internet connection.

 

The district has over 6,000 students across eight schools. To cover the area, BearCom planned to erect seven broadband towers to establish a secure connection in rural areas and ensure signals reached across the schools. The first installation was completed on September 1, 2020, at Grayson Elementary, the school that draws from the district’s most rural and underserved population. The rest of the towers were installed over the next three months.

 

Private wireless networks help K-12 schools and local authorities close this divide by bringing broadband access to students. Schools in urban areas can use private 4.9G/LTE networks to deliver reliable highspeed internet service to unconnected or underserved households. In rural areas where students live farther from campus, schools can combine private wireless with Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) gateways deployed in or near students’ homes to ensure equal access to online learning.

 

Safety & Security
With advances in cellular technology, LTE is proving to be a real game changer in the critical communications space, making it increasingly important to consider a unified communications strategy.

 

All aspects of public safety operations can be enhanced by 4G and 5G network solutions that improve response times and increase day-to-day efficiency. The superior positioning, latency, and reliability of a 5G network will enable emergency services and emergency response teams to work more efficiently, gather better situational awareness, and accomplish the ultimate goal—save lives by reducing response times.

 

In addition to campus-wide networks, BearCom offers Mutualink, an information-sharing solution that enables instant radio and video communication between schools and first responders.

Mutualink can save precious seconds in critical situations by sharing video feeds, facility blueprints, and other assets that help coordinate decisive response tactics.

 

Pop-up Networks – Post-Disaster and Special Event
A pop-up LTE network is a temporary communications network that is deployed for a short period of time to provide wireless connectivity in a specific location. These networks are often used for events such as concerts, festivals, and other gatherings where traditional cellular networks may not have the capacity to support the influx of people using their mobile devices.

 

Pop-up LTE networks typically contain a small number of portable radio base stations that can be quickly set up and configured to provide coverage in the desired area. These base stations are connected to a core network infrastructure that provides connectivity to the wider internet and other communication networks.

 

Pop-up LTE networks are an effective solution for providing wireless connectivity in areas where traditional cellular networks are unavailable or overloaded. They can provide a high-speed internet connection to users and allow them to stay connected with friends, family, and the wider world.

 

What’s great about a Pop-Up network is that it can be set up using a variety of technologies, including portable cell towers, drones, or even balloons. Think sporting events, festivals,

graduation ceremonies. BearCom deploys Pop Up Networks to extend the coverage area and ensure that all users have a reliable and fast connection.

 

Preparing for the Educational Future
By providing teachers and students with advanced education technologies and the broadband connectivity required to power them, K-12 schools, colleges and universities will be able to close the digital divide. BearCom will help your campus IT team develop the strategy, the plan and the suite of technologies that will deliver a richer learning experience now and in the future.