Education Authority and BT complete rollout of next generation WiFi to 1,200 Northern Ireland schools

The solution, delivered under the Public Sector Shared Network (PSSN) programme, is aimed at boosting connectivity in classrooms across Northern Ireland, allowing teachers and pupils to seamlessly access the latest resources and online tools.

The WiFi rollout included BT and their partner Select Services fitting over 25,000 wireless access points in classrooms and learning spaces. It represents the largest single installation of CISCO Meraki WiFi carried out anywhere in Europe.

This major milestone was celebrated with project partners at Elmgrove Primary School and Nursery Unit in East Belfast, whose new school build became the final institution to receive their wireless install, marking the end of the three-year long project.

Engineers joined pupils, teachers, BT and EA to mark the occasion, during an event held at the school, which recently reopened its doors to their outstanding new school building.

Jayne McIlgrom, EA EdIS Lead on the Wireless Project, said:

“While the EdIS Wireless Project was about delivering state-of-the-art wireless technology across 1161 schools in Northern Ireland through the largest Cisco Meraki rollout in the whole of Europe, ultimately our key objective is always to enhance the learning experience of children in the classroom and we have seen this come to fruition in Elmgrove Primary’s new facilities today.”

The introduction of the connectivity will prepare NI schools for the future of education, enabling every child to have equal access to technology in the classroom regardless of geographical location or socio-economic background.  

Paul Murnaghan, BT’s Northern Ireland Director, said:

“Today represents a major milestone for schools across Northern Ireland, providing the rock-solid connectivity that will be the backbone of education for thousands of pupils.

“We know technology is changing faster than ever and schools need the right infrastructure in place to ensure they are able to securely access the right tools and deliver the high-quality education our young people deserve.”

The improved connectivity has seen next generation WiFi introduced in thousands of classrooms and workspaces, and will pave the way for educators to utilise emerging technologies from augmented reality to artificial intelligence.

Jayne Jeffers, Principal at Elmgrove Primary School and Nursery Unit, said:

“Our new Wireless provision is transformative to the learning experiences offered within our school. Through enhanced digital services, partnered with the unrivalled facilities of our new school build, we can significantly improve educational opportunities for the children of our East Belfast community.”

For further information on the EdIS programme, visit Education Information Solutions (EdIS) Programme

For more information please view our video showcasing the Wireless Connectivity project in action at Ashgrove Nursery School.