New Castle School District of New Castle, Indiana, is deploying the Meru Networks Wireless LAN System across its district to enable its more than 4,000 students and 500 staff and faculty to access a broad range of wireless voice and data applications. When completed, the wireless deployment will span New Castle's seven elementary schools, a middle school, high school and vocational school, the district's administration building and its technology center.

With a wireless LAN and several mobile computer labs, New Castle could allow entire classrooms to use computing resources efficiently and cost-effectively. In addition, the district wanted a solution that could be used for both data and voice over IP, allowing staff to keep in touch as they move about the school's campus during the workday.

"We've been able to distribute the APs (access points) evenly throughout our buildings, knowing that the cells would overlap. The end result has been greatly improved reliability and complete coverage," said Shawn Iverson, Network Administrator for the New Castle School District.
"In user terms, this means that our students and faculty can access a wide range of services, from basic Internet access to educational applications in the classroom, without having to worry about interruptions or lost connections."

With faculty and staff using laptops and PDAs, and students accessing mobile computer labs in the classrooms, New Castle is providing a wealth of applications over its wireless LAN. These include basic software applications as well as a variety of edutainment packages and grade-book programs. Teachers can also access classroom instruction applications and can link to projectors in each classroom for presentations. The district also plans to equip teachers and staff with wireless VoIP handsets, so they can roam from building to building throughout their day.

KW