Wireless Networks and Education: Connecting Rural Schools

Education is a fundamental right for every child in the world, as it is their building block for a promising future. However, most children especially those in the rural areas even in developed countries are deprived of access to educational resources. This is mostly due to the inadequacy of infrastructure and the relevant technology to connect them to teachers, libraries and instructional resources.

Indeed, statistics show that a rural learner has a larger homework gap than his urban counterpart. Access to the internet could help bridge the gap between the education standards in the rural areas and those in the urban areas. This explains the shift to the deployment of wireless technologies to the rural communities.

One of Horizon Communications goals through our fixed wireless service is to bring internet access and blockchain technologies to these schools, whether they are in a city or out in a small farming community, all children deserve access to educational resources.

What advantage does a wireless network provision have over a wired connection?

Wired connections require the setting up of cost prohibitive infrastructure. Asking schools to lease connection lines would only be counter-intuitive as most of them do not have a budget that can accommodate such an expense, nevermind getting the physical connection to their building. As connectivity becomes an inevitable mandate, it behooves telecoms and ISPs to come up with a cost-effective way of providing connectivity; wireless connections.

Through the provision of broadband wireless connections, rural schools are provided with an affordable alternative and in many cases the only connection they could possible have to the internet. Wireless connections require a single central site, with bridges through which the schools can get connected to the internet.

Additionally several schools can share resources. Cloud storage in wireless connections enables the purchase and storage of educational materials and media in one central place. Such can be accessed by other schools within the locality and beyond. Thus we could say that wireless connections are playing a key role in enriching the rural students’ learning.

How will wireless connections impact the schools?

Having internet connectivity in rural schools will give learners the opportunity to leverage on internet-enabled devices for learning purposes.

Not only is internet connectivity being used in the classrooms, its integration with the schools’ transport system is not uncommon. On average, rural students spend as much as 40 minutes on the bus each way. Through internet connectivity in their buses, students traveling home or going to an out-of-town school event can complete their homework. The inclusion of connections in buses will enable the school administrators to track its whereabouts.

While rural districts are quite small, it is not easy for teachers to assess the progress of each of their students. Through the provision of the internet through wireless networks, teachers are able to give instructions to the learners and collect relevant data to gauge their progress. Connected devices allow the teachers to offer 1:1 training programs in which the teachers coach the students that are lagging behind.

The learning process can be galvanized through the inclusion of interactive activities. Online platforms are now being used to share homework. Connectivity also fosters a sense of teamwork as both staff members and students can interact freely.

The remote controlling and class management features provided for by such connections enable teachers to monitor and control their classrooms even in their absence.

Bringing education to even the most remote communities may have been an insurmountable challenge years ago, but

Gilbert A Darrell is the Founder of Horizon. He has 18 years experience in information technology and telecom solutions, a veteran in Fire and EMS Services, a crypto enthusiast and a member of the Bermuda Government’s Cryptocurrency Task Force.

Horizon Communications is an upcoming fixed wireless internet and cellular service provider looking to provide services in Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Central America before expanding internationally.

While utilizing 4th generation and soon 5th generation wireless technology, it will also heavily incorporate blockchain and cryptocurrency technology, one of the 1st ISP’s in the world to do so and the 1st to tokenize their services using an Initial Coin Offering (ICO).

More information can be found on their website — www.HorizonComm.co