Media release: Important reports on schools’ broadband network released

Two important reports have just been released on a successful trial that provided rural and urban schools with fast and unrestricted broadband to empower teaching and learning.

The National Education Network (NEN) trial provided 20 schools with fast, unrestricted broadband drastically improving their access to information and communication technology tools. The trial was led by REANNZ and funded by the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education Commission and the National Library.

The 6-month trial, successfully completed on 15 December 2008, tested the architecture and explored the educational benefits of a National Education Network. The reports show that the trial was a huge success in both respects:

• it proved the benefits of the open access NEN architecture
  
• allowed teachers to expose their students to the sort of tools, techniques and experiences that will equip them to be the knowledge workers New Zealand requires to drive its future productivity.

Feedback from trial schools was overwhelmingly positive. One teacher commented, “The benefits of connecting to KAREN are immense; students and staff can reach the resources of universities in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States; show maps and satellite footage to Geography classes using Google Maps; and collaborate via high definition video conferences with other students around the world”.

The NEN trial was such a success that REANNZ are recommending a complete national network based on the principles of the NEN be rolled out to all schools. After running the trial, our estimate is that high-performance broadband can be delivered to every classroom in New Zealand for only $150m.

“We welcome the Government’s initial $34m investment in schools ICT infrastructure. This funding is a positive sign of the Government’s commitment to improving national connectivity for schools and will help to continue the momentum for broadband we’ve achieved through the NEN trial,” said REANNZ Chief Executive, Donald Clark.

REANNZ is the Crown’s in-house expert in network purchasing and operations with world-class skills. “As a not-for-profit crown company with 2 years experience running New Zealand’s advanced network KAREN, REANNZ is in a prime position to aggregate schools’ broadband demand to procure connectivity to an open, transparent, high-performance network.”

“Our experience of running this trial has strengthened our expertise and insights in the successful design, operation and management of a national broadband network for schools.”

The NEN Phase II report contains detailed information on the outcomes of the trial, as well as recommendations on the successful roll-out of a national broadband network for schools (link below).

For more feedback from participating schools visit http://www.core-ed.net/karen/ or read the full 21st Century Learning Challenge report (link below).

National Education Network reports

National Education Network Phase II report
21st Century Learning Challenge report