Air Canada: Wi-Fi Access in Maple Leaf Lounges
The NC Student Connect Project
Our results are almost as fast as our connections.
A large-scale project requiring flawless coordination and teamwork, where within two months, 15 teams of technicians deployed internet to 417 locations. Our results are almost as fast as our connections.
Overview
In 2020, many students in North Carolina had limited or no access to the Internet. While this would typically be an issue, it became a crisis when the pandemic hit. After all, hundreds of children now needed to attend school online and couldn’t do so.
Federal funding opened the door for North Carolina to work with Datavalet. Datavalet partnered with AT&T to provide “dead zones” with the internet, establishing wireless connectivity in outdoor community spaces. This allowed children to pursue their education as needed.
The solution was designed using complex technical components. The solution used cellular routing, directional antennas, and other technological equipment.
When the NC Student Connect Project launched, it was with a strict delivery timeline. This required Datavalet to plan, organize, and orchestrate efforts with our partner ecosystem to ensure on-time deployment and installation on a limited budget.
The Problem
Many of North Carolina’s underserved areas lacked wireless connectivity. When the pandemic hit, this became a problem, and many schools were forced to go online. Thousands of children could not connect to the internet and complete critical schoolwork or attend lectures.
The Solution
Installing 417 Wi-Fi locations across North Carolina. Datavalet provides a complete internet service by combining the best-in-class wireless networks, cellular routers, and Wi-Fi access points with its managed services. The deployment of this solution required a massive amount of scheduling and expert coordination.
User Sessions Since Launch
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K
Connected Parks
0
Sites Deployed
0
Schools & Libraries
0
Data Transferred
0
TB
Large-Scale Project Management
Project management during COVID-19 required exceptional finesse. The pandemic impacted the supply chain and limited the possibility of site surveys. Delivering 417 locations in two months required the flawless coordination of up to 15 teams of technicians every day. Technical expertise was vital when mounting equipment; antennas had to be precisely adjusted by technicians to ensure optimal Wi-Fi coverage. This was a large-scale project requiring flawless coordination and management by Datavalet’s expert team from start to finish.
Highlights
• Coordination, deployment, and installation completed on a budget
• All services managed through network monitoring
• End-user support included
• Wi-Fi access points are now located around schools, libraries, and parks
• Both primary and backup connections established for redundancy
The Results
As a result of this project, thousands of people in North Carolina can now access the internet. This is particularly helpful to children who can now attend school online. The results of the NC Student Connect Project:
- 417 Wi-Fi locations installed within two months
- Successful deployment across 327 schools and libraries
- 90 parks across North Carolina now have a Wi-Fi connection
- 260,000+ user sessions since the deployment of our networks
- 27 terabytes of data transferred since the activation of our connection
A Unique Channel and Technological Partnership
Coordination, deployment and installation. Managing all services through network monitoring and end-user support.
Provision of primary internet access based on AT&T’s wireless network.
Access Points are used to transmit Wi-Fi signal covering the required areas around schools, libraries et parks.
Cellular routers connecting to the primary wireless network and a backup connection to a partner network for redundancy.
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Datavalet provides high-speed Wi-Fi network management to guest and staff across your business. We can transform Wi-Fi from commodity to business value.