IE Teniente Cruz Paredes is a school situated in the Colombian village of Cumaral. In addition to academic progress, the school places a strong emphasis on the ethical, emotional, and social development of its students. The goal is to ensure graduates possess the essential knowledge and skills to flourish in Colombia or overseas. Access to online resources is a vital part of the students’ education, underscoring the importance of reliable connectivity despite the school’s remote location.
Challenge
A member of FrontierUS traveled to IE Teniente Cruz Paredes to volunteer at one of the school’s events. During their stay, they observed the lack of adequate connectivity within the school premises. Further investigation revealed that a considerable number of individuals, including both teachers and students, had no access to the internet when it was necessary for learning.
One of the teachers at the school mentioned that as a result, staff members had to rely on their own mobile phone data to serve as hotspots. However, these data plans only cover the teachers for half of the month, leaving them with no connectivity for up to weeks long.
Solution
One of the team leads from FrontierUS connected with the teacher to discuss the situation and develop a suitable solution. Together with Peplink, FrontierUS donated and delivered a Balance Two to IE Teniente Cruz Paredes. Additionally, six APO AXs were brought in and deployed to extend Wi-Fi access to all classrooms. FrontierUS team members also donated switches and cables to complement the Peplink equipment.
At IE Teniente Cruz Paredes, FrontierUS met with the school’s IT engineer to get all the devices installed and to get acquainted with InControl. Simultaneously, FrontierUS remotely accessed the Peplink hardware for configuration from their headquarters in Michigan. This was being set up to seamlessly manage and monitor the devices.
Result
Remarkably, every classroom at IE Teniente Cruz Paredes gained access to high-speed internet, marking an unprecedented development. Previously, teachers faced challenges in streaming educational videos on platforms like YouTube. However, with the improved connectivity, they now have the ability to utilize a wide array of educational resources, including interactive lessons, educational games, and a broader range of videos. Moreover, the availability of internet connectivity has facilitated enhanced group projects, communication, and digital literacy skills among the students.
The school’s IT engineer reported that the new network design has significantly improved the coverage and distribution of internet access within the school premises. Additionally, the old equipment at IE Teniente Cruz Paredes was repurposed to establish secondary networks, offering free Wi-Fi on campus. To ensure the main network always maintains sufficient bandwidth, the IT engineer implemented throughput limitations on these secondary networks. However, students can still utilize messaging or calling applications like WhatsApp to stay connected with their families.
“My fellow teachers and I are deeply grateful to Peplink for their generous donation of equipment to our school. I also want to thank FrontierUS for making this dream a reality. I was told that the core values of FrontierUS are Dedicated, Caring and Conscientious, and Family. During this project, I have seen all of them in action. Thank you so much!”
Diana Vasquez, Teacher at IE Teniente Cruz Paredes
Deployment
- Serves as the main router of the school
- Up to 1GB throughput for high-bandwidth applications in classrooms
- Small form factor with fanless design
- Installed in different parts of the school premises
- Enables Wi-Fi access for teachers and students
- Managed centrally through InControl
