Networking & Wireless | News

Mississippi School Implements Hosted Wi-Fi, Fiber-Based Internet

• By Leila Meyer
• 01/21/14

Jackson Preparatory School in Mississippi has upgraded its wireless network to a hosted solution to improve coverage and capacity throughout the school, and it has implemented a fiber-optic Internet connection for faster speeds.

Jackson Prep implemented its first Wi-Fi network in the 1999-2000 school year and has made an effort to keep pace with technological advances, but the school's existing network was straining to handle the rapid growth in the number of mobile devices on campus, as well as the increased adoption of Web-based educational resources and digital learning tools. School administrators decided to solve the problem by implementing C Spire's Education Revolution, which features hosted Wi-Fi to help the school reduce the cost of of the network upgrade by eliminating the need to purchase infrastructure equipment.

By choosing a hosted solution, Jackson Prep was able to implement its 3-to-5-year wireless infrastructure technology plan within a six-month time period, according to Laura Bishop, head of IT at the school.

The school's wireless network now supports simultaneous connections for all students across campus, so they can access "digital textbooks, library e-databases, reverse learning podcasts, electronic submission of assignments, real-time lectures, mobile applications" and more, according to information from C Spire.

The network also supports the school's classroom wireless access management app, Aerohive TeacherView, which lets the teachers monitor and manage students' wireless connection status and enable or disable access as needed.

Jackson Prep's implementation of C Spire's Education Revolution solution also includes the company's fiber-optic Internet access, which offers "fixed-rate dedicated connections with speeds from 1.5 Mbps to 1 Gbps," according to information from the company, further supporting student access to Internet-based learning resources.

Jackson Preparatory School is a private school located east of Jackson, MS, serving 800 students in grades 6-12.