78 of Ireland’s Schools Receive High Speed Broadband

Communications Minister Eamon Ryan today announced that the €13 million Broadband to Schools Scheme has delivered 100 megabit high speed fibre and wireless broadband to 78 second level schools nationwide.

The Renewed Programme for Government sets out that the Scheme will extend to all second-level schools nationwide in the next two years. Ireland is one the first countries in the world to deliver such a programme on a national level.

Over the last year, fibre-optic and wireless networks were installed in the 78 schools – at least one in every county. These networks will allow for speeds of 100 megabits per second, speeds similar to those on offer to multinational corporations based here.

Enhanced ICT facilities, including more than 1500 wireless digital projectors and 2000 laptops, have also been distributed.

At St. Colmcille’s Community School in Dublin today, the students demonstrated the capabilities of the technology by carrying out interactive science experiments, as well as going on a ‘virtual tour’ of the Louvre Museum in Paris. Minister Ryan said:

 “The jobs of the future are in the digital economy and our children need to be confident and comfortable in the use of technology. Broadband of this capacity and quality will allow them to see and learn things in school that my generation could have only dreamed of.

We are changing the day-to-day classroom experience. “Chalk and talk” models won’t work any more. Learning needs to be multi-sensory and interactive, allowing students to learn in schools in the same way they socialise and learn at home. Seeing the students today making a virtual visit to the Louvre in Paris, is remarkable – they are stepping beyond the four walls of their classroom into a new world during their school day.

With this Scheme, we are creating the digital citizens – the writers, the inventors and the businesspeople – of the future. I believe the provision of 100 megabits broadband will transform education in Ireland and place our children at the forefront of the digital revolution.

All secondary schools will soon reap the benefits.”

Schools have been selected against various criteria including geographical location, and an adequate mix of schools to ensure broad social inclusion

This project is the result of cooperation between the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Department of Education and Science, the Higher Education Authority, HEAnet and the National Centre for Technology in Education.

HEANet has built and will maintain the network on behalf of the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources. The National Centre for Technology in Education is charged with the integration of ICT within schools. They will also provide front line support for the staff of the schools. ESB Telecoms has provided backhaul from regional locations to Dublin. 23 of the schools will link in to the Government’s Metropolitan Area Networks (MANS) which are already in place

The service providers that were successful in the delivery of the fibre and wireless infrastructure include Eircom, Airspeed, Digiweb, e|Net, Imagine, BT, Complete Telecom and Telindus, while Dell Ireland has provided the laptop equipment.

The schools to receive the broadband are: