Madison Academy Upgrades to Gigabit Fiber WAN
Madison Academy in Alabama has implemented a 1-gigabit per second (Gbps)
fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network between its two campus locations
and a multipurpose student service center and is planning to extend the
fiber connection to a third building currently under construction.
The preK through high school institute upgraded to 200-megabit per second (Mbps) Internet service with WOW! Business last summer. However, the school found that it was maxing out that
connection and needed to increase bandwidth to support broad adoption
of digital learning tools as well as the campus expansion.
The
school has a 1-to-1 technology program, providing every student with
either an Apple laptop or an iPad. Teachers use technology extensively
in and out of the classroom, with "virtual classrooms, blogs, online
video learning tutorials and other curriculum that requires reliable
Internet access and sufficient, flexible bandwidth capacity that can
easily scale as needed," according to a news release.
The school
has already begun construction of two new wings. One wing will house a
performance center and will open in the fall of 2016. A second wing
will house the school's STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts
and math) programs. Construction of that wing is still in the funding
stage.
To support digital learning initiatives and the school
expansion, the school worked with WOW! Business to upgrade its
fiber-based dedicated Internet service from 200 Mbps to 1 Gbps. "The
jump from 200 Mbps to 1 Gbps will help support the new STEAM programs,
enrollment growth and more curriculums becoming web-based, benefitting
both students and faculty," said Brian Tissue, director of technology
and network infrastructure for Madison Academy, in a news release. In
addition to its Internet service, WOW! Business also provides the
school with Ethernet, PRI voice and video services.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].