Case Study – Mississauga District School Boards
The Problem:
Technology hasn't always been an enabler for the 300 schools and more than 200,000 students and staff that make up the Peel District School Board and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Boards. In fact, with more than 14,000 computers accessing the boards' telecommunications infrastructure at any given time, Internet connections were often so slow, students opted to do their web browsing and searching from home, while inventive teachers were frustrated by the network's ability to support their ideas for creative learning. That's no longer the case following the launch of a new fibre optic network, provided by Blink Communications Inc. Formerly Enersource Telecom of Mississauga, Ont. in partnership with HydroOne of Toronto and serving schools and facilities in Mississauga, Brampton and surrounding communities. According to Jim Smith, controller of information and services for Peel District School Board, the capacity and speed delivered by the state-of-the-art fibre network is not only changing the way people work, but is also opening the door to new possibilities. "This new technology is 8,000 times as fast as the circuits in most of our schools now," says Smith, which allows for e-learning, linking of classrooms and other interactive opportunities.
The Solution:
"It's like a superhighway has come to our dirt road," adds school principal Christine Shain. Perhaps it's more like two superhigh-ways. Two physically separate fibre routes between Mississauga and Brampton offer bandwidth service at 1 gigabit per second.
The Result:
Along with the parity the capacity brings to the most urban and most remote schools, Peel District School Board superintendent Hal Brooks points out another benefit of the technology. "One of the best things about this project is its impact on older schools. New schools usually open with the newest equipment. This fibre optics network, in one fell swoop, brings our older schools into that same league, revitalizing old PCs and shrinking the differences between old and new." For all educators, access to modern connectivity means educational possibilities are limited only to the creativeness of instructors. Plans are already in the works to link classes through video-conferencing, promote English as a Second Language (ESL) studies through distance learning, and create large video archives for reference by both students and teachers. The fibre will also play a key role in a new SciTech Inquiry Centre that boasts 60 computers and five portable LCD projection units. "Our school considers this the new basic -- just like literacy is a basic," notes school principal Diane Grieve. "The fibre network is a genuine tool."
The Future:
Moving forward, the scalable network will allow the school boards to grow and adjust as student enrolment fluctuates. Consolidation of services will continue to bring down hardware costs. "This network gives us the flexibility to adapt to changing needs; an important factor given our rapid growth and the exponential development of technologies," said John Melito, superintendent of special and strategic programs and projects at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. Already the Peel District School Board has had an opportunity to test that flexibility. After experiencing service issues with its existing Internet provider, the board turned to Blink Communications Inc. formerly Enersource Telecom Inc. to capitalize on the new network. In less than two hours, Blink provided superior Internet access of 10 megabits per second. "Now that we've given both boards outstanding connectivity it will be exciting to watch teachers and students develop their opportunities."
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