A $2.3-million project to upgrade Wi-Fi in Tri-City public schools was approved Tuesday with the hopes of giving glitch-free service to 30,000 students and 1,200 teachers when it's installed over the next year.
The plan is to upgrade switching infrastructure, install wiring and add 1,400 new access points, which are similar to wireless routers used in the home but are controlled centrally and whose only job is to allow devices to connect to the internet.
"Everyone has identified that this is one of the most important issues," said Stephen Whiffin, School District 43's associate director of instruction for learning and information technology.
"The current model is outdated," he said, pointing out that with current infrastructure, some classes don't have Wi-Fi coverage or the system can only cope with four or five devices when the ability to handle 30 is needed, such as when students are accessing course material online at the same time.
The funds will allow the district to double the total number of access points and install wiring that will enable schools to keep pace with the need for internet access for the next decade.
"We are guaranteeing that the system will support every student with at least one device," Whiffin said.
Schools that already have upgraded systems — including Glen, James Park and Irvine elementary schools and Pitt River and Eagle Mountain middle schools — won't need the new service while older schools slated for redevelopment, such as Moody and Banting middle, will be assisted with some inexpensive temporary upgrades.
Trustees unanimously approved the expenditure, which will come out of the district's capital reserves and follows up on provincial initiatives to link schools to high-speed internet with the Next Generation Network.
Next Generation, a partnership between the education ministry, Telus and IBM, will ensure that all B.C. schools are connected to high-speed by March 31, 2017. It comes as the province rolls out new curriculum for kindergarten to Grade 9 students in September, with changes to high school curriculum the following year.
