Western Sydney Uni undergoes Wi-Fi revamp

Western Sydney University will roll out smart Wi-Fi across all seven of its campuses in a bid to provide Internet services to all staff and students.

The university recently closed a tender for mobility networking (Wi-Fi) to deploy new technology to support digital learning initiatives. Following a review of proposals from several providers, the university picked Ruckus Wireless products, which are being installed by reseller BigAir.

The updated solution includes new 802.11ac wave 2 wireless access points, enabling end users to take advantage of next generation Wi-Fi enhancements like multiple-user, multiple input, and multiple output (MU-MIMO) technology, which significantly boosts the network’s capacity.

Western Sydney University is a multi-location institution with more than 40,000 students across campuses in Bankstown, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Parramatta, Penrith and Lithgow.

The university’s chief information and digital officer, Kerry Holling, said Wi-Fi is one of the most important and publicly visible technologies employed by the university.

“Mobility networking, or Wi-Fi, needs to deliver far more than just coverage and connectivity for the university,” he said. “It is the key enabler for delivering the leading user experience for all of our community – students, researchers, academics and staff.”

“Reliable, high speed Wi-Fi is becoming critical for universities, which are challenged by the proliferation of mobile devices on campus and increasing demand for online education content,” said Pat Devlin, managing director at Ruckus Wireless, A/NZ.

“By deploying 802.11ac wave 2 access points, Western Sydney University will essentially future-proof its network and enable greater collaboration, innovation and many other online activities on campus.”