Post-pandemic: Ireland connects 1,000 schools

Over 1,000 primary schools across Ireland have been provided with enterprise-level connectivity. The effort is a part of a National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) developed by the government to help repair economic and social damage brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In collaboration with the Department of Education, HEAnet, Ireland’s national research and education network (NREN), has established the HEAnet Schools Network leveraging reliable high-speed internet connectivity to primary and post-primary schools nationwide. Even the most remote primary schools now have 100 Mbps as a minimum.

“HEAnet are delighted to have completed this significant milestone by delivering enterprise-level connectivity to 1,000 primary schools. With the aid of NRRP funding, we are able to bridge the digital divide, ensuring that all Irish schools are able to enjoy the same minimum level of Internet access regardless of their geographic location or the level of broadband access previously available to them,” says Dónal Ó Cearbhaill, Schools Network Director at HEAnet.

Filtering for student safety

The Schools Network was established as part of the Irish Government’s Broadband for Schools Programme. HEAnet work with the Schools Broadband Service Desk, managed by the Department of Education by Oide Technology in Education, to provide support as part of the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027.

“By connecting these schools to the HEAnet network – with secure filtering for student safety – we are now providing them with reliable, enterprise-level connectivity that will continue to enable schools to realize their digital ambition,” Dónal Ó Cearbhaill of HEAnet notes, continuing:

“We have already seen the positive impact of this high-speed technology in post-primary schools since 2015 and are delighted to now be able to support the primary schools in the same way.”

Aligned with the European Union facility

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan is aligned with the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. This EU facility is the largest component of NextGenerationEU, the European Union’s response to the global pandemic.

The aim of NextGenerationEU is to help repair the immediate economic and social damage brought about by the pandemic and to prepare for a post-Covid Europe that is greener, more digital, and resilient.

The text is inspired by the article “HEAnet connects 1,000 Primary Schools with enterprise-level Broadband Connectivity” at the HEAnet website.