Cox Business and the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) have formally agreed to elevate the Internet experience for the District’s 26,000 students and 3,000 employees. Installation is nearly complete on an upgrade that will increase bandwidth and speed to 1G at each of SUSD’s 33 schools through a Cox Metro Ethernet network so that students and teachers can all use their own “smart devices” in the classroom at the same time.
With these Cox Business upgrades, SUSD can complete plans to fully activate its “Bring Your Own Technology” (BYOT) program across all of its schools. The District has embraced the proliferation of mobile technology and wants students to appropriately use their devices at the direction of teachers for research, to engage in class discussions and to stream educational videos. Cox Business is providing a network fast enough and reliable enough to consistently manage this new level of usage.
“Every SUSD school will have wireless access so students and teachers can bring their smartphones, iPods, iPads and Android devices to school and fluidly engage with technology,” explains Tom Clark, chief technology officer for SUSD. He adds, “Already, SUSD is offering professional development through a mobile learning lab, eCoach, that travels throughout the District carrying its own portable technology. Now, the eCoach will have seamless wireless access at SUSD campuses to the robust Cox Business network established for the District.”
“Cox Business believes deeply in developing and providing connectivity that allows our partners, like SUSD, to heighten the learning experience,” said Hyman Sukiennik, Cox Business vice president. Cox Business connects 29 school districts in Metro Phoenix with Internet, data networks and telephone networks.
