School's Broadband Speed and how to improve it?

[Nicola E]

Hi all,

I'm just putting a query out there about the average internet speed in primary schools and if there are ways to improve it? I am in a primary school in North Dublin and we are with the NCTE Broadband Network. 

As a classroom teacher and ICT co-ordinator I have been finding it very frustrating that we have to wait for videos to load, children's games to load and trying to upload and maintain the school website can be difficult in school. Teacher's are constantly coming to me with low internet speed problems in their own classrooms too.

When I rang NCTE and did a speed test, we had 5mbps download speed and 321kbps upload speed.

I am no expert but personally find it very hard to integrate ICT into learning with this speed.  We have a computer room with 16 PC's that use ethernet and 2 laptop trolleys, each containing 15 laptops.  This combined with teacher's own laptops (16) and mobile phones.

Is there any way we can improve our speed at all or is it down to the provider i.e. the government?

Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance,

Nicola 

[G P Ashe]

Until primary schools get similar to what has been rolled out to Post-Primary then it will be an uphill struggle. Certainly not a level playing field and utterly frustrating for those who wish to embrace technology over a poor asynchronous link. You/school have to decide can you live with the current arrangement until such a time as realistic bandwidth is provided under the Primary Broadband Initiative or do you spend your own funds to improve bandwidth in the interim - the latter obviously depends on what the local options are.

-- gpa

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[Niall Hickey]

Hi Nicola,

You can pay for your own connection. If UPC or e-fibre is available then you can replace your current connection with that one. Minimum speeds with either of them would be 15 to 20 times faster.

I am sure you can still connect through the NCTE for filtering as that is just down to the router setup.

Niall.

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[Tom Lonergan]

Hi Nicola, 
The Dept will be going to tender shortly for faster broadband for primary schools as part of the Schools broadband upgrade programme. Companies within the Schools Broadband Framework which can provide faster broadband using technologies such as efibre, cable (UPC), and wireless alternatives to slower DSL rural connections (ie., where efibre may not be available), will be asked to provide costed upgrade options for schools within their coverage areas. Responses will be received and evaluated during the summer and companies are expected to begin the upgrade process beginning in Sept/Oct 2015. If your school is within a efibre or UPC cable area we'd expect to receive upgrade responses from these companies for your school.

Note: Only broadband connections provided within the schools broadband programme can be provided with the Content Filtering service.

Regards

Tom Lonergan

PDST Technology in Education

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[Anne White]

Hi Niall,

Not the case re the filtering unless this has changed recently but don't  think so.

Anne 

Sent from my iPhone

[Niall Hickey]

I wasn't aware of that. So it would get a little more complex then doing your own internal filtering.

[Anne White]

Very - See email from Tom Lonergan confirming situation at primary.

Anne 

Sent from my iPhone

[Nicola E]

Thanks to all for the quick and helpful responses. 

Unfortunately we are not in the position, financially, to pay for our own broadband connection and the Content Filtering is a definite bonus with the School's Broadband System so we'll have to stay put with them for the immediate future.

Tom, it is great to hear that an upgrade to broadband speed is in the pipeline for primary schools. Hopefully this will be rolled out as soon as it is possible.  In the meantime, we'll struggle on. We might look at something simple such as the amount of modems to boost teacher's poor signals.  

Regards,

Nicola

[Shane Hogan]

Hi Tom

Can you provide any update on the faster broadband for primary schools please? Is there any news on when this might be available - a rollout schedule perhaps?

Many thanks

Shane Hogan

[Tom Lonergan (PDST)]

Hi Shane,

here is a summary update on broadband for Primary Schools:

In 2015 the DES went to tender for faster broadband for primary schools as part of the Schools broadband upgrade programme. Companies on the Schools Broadband Framework were asked to provide costed upgrade options for schools within their coverage areas, typically using technologies such as efibre, cable (UPC), and wireless alternatives to slower DSL rural connections. Responses from companies were received, evaluated, contracts awarded etc., and where upgrades were possible they began to take place in late 2015. These upgrades are still ongoing, though quite a few schools have been upgraded at this stage. The best way of checking the broadband situation for your own school is to email the Broadband Service Desk, and ask for a broadband status on your school.  Make sure to include your school name and roll number, emails should be sent to broadbands...@pdst.ie    

 

In addition, the Digital Strategy for Schools (2015-2020) refers to ‘improved connectivity for primary schools specifically is a priority under the Strategy’, and states that ‘the Department will collaborate with DCENR to bring enhanced broadband to Irish primary schools during the lifetime of the Strategy’, however no more specific information is currently available on this area.

 

Regards

Tom Lonergan

PDST Technology in Education

www.pdsttechnologyineducation

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