Connectivity Solutions Key to Competitive Varsity Education, Says Ericsson

Emma Okonji
Private networks can play an important role in the connectivity solutions for higher education institutions as data demands and stress on networks grow, Ericsson, a connectivity solution company has said.

The Director, Business Development Enterprise and Emerging Markets at
Ericsson, Ray Sabourin, who made the disclosure in a recent statement, said: “Universities are hotbeds for ideas and innovation and also have a nearly insatiable need for connectivity. From labs to classroom equipment, student cell phone coverage to sports arenas, there are growing host of demands on the networks of these facilities.”

Universities have many different Information Technology (IT) needs and have to take a holistic view of connectivity, in order to deliver a seamless performance on both public and private networks. Fixed connections and Wi-Fi alone won’t be enough to meet the demand. The latest generation of mobile wireless in 5G, with its fast speeds, low latency and superior security, can be the missing piece, Sabourin further said.

He added that private 5G network could serve as an extension of a school’s Internet Protocol (IP) network, untethering applications from hardwired connections and students from Wi-Fi signals that ebb and flow in strength depending on what corner of the quad they are standing in.

“College IT administrators also need to stay ahead of the coming wave of connected devices. To a great extent, they’re already here, since a 2018 Center for Digital Education (CDE) survey showed that more than three-quarters of college campuses at the time were either “smart” campuses or on their way to becoming so. Internet of Things (IoT) applications on campus can include everything from emergency notification systems to building HVAC control, to smart ID badges for students and faculty. The COVID-19 pandemic also rapidly accelerated the use of online portals connecting students both on and off campus,” Sabourin said.

He is of the view that to power all those devices, a school needs a wide coverage network that gives every inch of campus reliable connections, adding that in outdoor environments, 5G networks powering a “Fixed Wireless Broadband” solution can provide strong, secure coverage with far less access points than a traditional Wi-Fi setup.

Giving details of mobile broadband, Sabourin said it could power use cases from the everyday to the cutting edge, and he gave one example of how 5G private networks could help university campuses meet their needs.

“5G equipment allows network slicing, meaning that different functions (arena security, POS for food vendors, tablets on the sidelines, etc.) all have their own dedicated network resources. A single Wi-Fi network may be too congested or too weak in spots to meet all these needs.

And this can also apply inside the building, for things like smart whiteboards, or equipment beaming in an expert to a classroom. A mobile broadband connection gives the security and speed of fixed Ethernet while allowing equipment to be moved from room to room. This can also be applied to public safety technology—things like wireless cameras that can be redeployed during an event, or drones for autonomous patrols of outdoor areas,” Sabourin said.