The AU$6 million project is designed to provide secure wireless connectivity for both teachers and pupils. According to the DE&T, the network will provide teachers with wireless access to educational applications and resources.
Katrina Reynen, general manager for the department's information technology division, said the move will reduce the amount of time teachers spend trying to access online resources.
"We want to empower teachers to be able to focus on their students, not on trying to access technology. This solution allows teachers to work without the limitations of fixed access points. It provides them with the flexibility to plan lessons, file reports and access teaching materials from anywhere in the school grounds," said Reynen.
Jacinta Allan, Minister for Education Services, said the project, which is part of the Wireless Networks for Schools (WiNS) initiative, will help schools to providing a more flexible and creative approach to learning with and about computers.
IBM - Logicalis has been selected to supply 9,000 Cisco wireless access points, based on the 54mbps 802.11g standard. The first access points are due to be installed in February and the project should be completed by mid-2006.
The inclusion of "and pupils" in this project
should be read as "and the general public".
Any attempt to secure these networks, while
granting access to hundreds of pupils at each site
is doomed. I hope the DE&T won't be paying for
traffic.