Colorado District Deploys WiFi Across 50 Campuses
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Poudre School District in Colorado has deployed WiFi arrays across all of its campuses as part of a larger technology-driven learning initiative. The deployment spanned 50 schools spread across nearly 2,000 square miles.
According to information released by the district, the deployment, which used Xirrus WiFi arrays, was part of an effort to help build collaboration between students and teachers and to do so in a cost-effective and energy-efficient manner.
"There were many reasons we chose to deploy Xirrus, over all the other Wi-Fi vendors,” said Victor Rosengren, telecommunications manager at Poudre School District, in a statement released this week. “First, our biggest requirement in selecting our Wi-Fi network was density support--finding a Wi-Fi solution that would scale as we grow over time from mobile laptop labs to a laptop for every student. Second, budgets are always tight, so we needed a solution that would not cost an arm and a leg to install and manage. Xirrus offered us the perfect solution for our needs. By integrating multiple radios and the wireless switch into a single device, we were able to deploy these Wi-Fi Arrays quickly and more cost-effectively without the need of adding large numbers of cable runs and switch ports. Third, we are well known for our energy efficient building projects and our sustainability management process, in fact, we have the first school in the nation to receive the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for schools Gold rating. By selecting Xirrus, which uses less switch ports, PoE boxes, and access points, we were able to extend our energy savings to our wireless network."
Poudre School District serves more than 25,000 PreK-12 students and employs more than 3,500 faculty and staff. The district comprises 32 elementary schools, 10 junior high schools, 6 high schools, and two charter schools distributed across 1,856 square miles in northern Colorado.