Networking & Wireless

Miami-Dade Transports Learning with School Bus Wi-Fi

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 09/10/15

A major Florida school district is piloting a new mobile hot-spot service on its school buses. Miami-Dade County Public Schools, which transports almost 60,000 students by bus, has added "WiFi-on-the-Go" in district-owned buses using a service from Kajeet.

The new Kajeet SmartBus system includes the Wi-Fi gear, software and data access. The program includes Cradlepoint COR IBR1100 cellular routers, which are cloud-managed networking devices specifically for vehicles. That comes with antennas and software for CIPA-compliant filtering, time-of-day controls, URL allow/deny controls and reporting and analytics.

For data access school systems buy data "in bulk" from Verizon and Sprint and place it into a Kajeet account that's made available for use in all buses. According to the company, access to the data doesn't expire, and it can be added to any time.

Miami-Dade added the program to extend the school day and allow students extra time to study or research a project while in transit.

"Advanced technology has made Internet connectivity in the classroom fundamental to teaching and learning," said Superintendent of Schools Alberto Carvalho, in a prepared statement. "But connectivity in non-traditional spaces is becoming increasingly relevant. Our students will benefit from Wi-Fi on the Go, transforming school buses into vehicles for learning and expanding opportunities to learn before and beyond the bell."