Hertfordshire schools benefit from broadband boost

Faster, more reliable access to e-learning tools

Students and teachers throughout Hertfordshire will benefit from improved access to online resources after a £5.5m upgrade to the Hertfordshire Grid for Learning (HGfL), provided by ntl:Telewest Business.

The high-speed network will provide 178,000 students from 572 educational institutions across the county with access to a range of e-learning services, which can help them when studying at home as well as in the classroom.

The e-learning services include access to primary and secondary educational content such as interactive exam revision applications (SAM Learning), the RM Living Library and the British Pathé Archive, containing 3,500 hours of digitised newsreel for use during lessons.

ntl:Telewest Business upgraded the network infrastructure to provide primary and middle schools with 2 Mbps broadband access while secondary schools will now have 10 Mbps links.

“We live in a digital age and fast, effective networking technologies and e-learning tools have shot up the agenda for schools and colleges nationwide,” said Dave Mansfield, technical infrastructure manager at Hertfordshire County Council. “Having a high-speed infrastructure in place that supports virtual learning environments, secure email, and finance and human resources systems is no longer just an added extra for schools, but pivotal to the efficient and effective running of institutions.”

Web filtering technology has also been provided to make sure that students only access suitable online material.

The HGfL is a private network that joins all of Hertfordshire's maintained schools, education support centres, residential children's homes and youth programme units. Schools within the county also benefit from a managed service desk and monitoring facilities, enabling issues to be identified and fixed quickly.

The network also enables access to the East of England Broadband Network (E2BN), one of 10 regional networks set up to improve standards in teaching and learning through broadband technology.

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