More than 100 Northumberland schools to benefit from 'life-changing' new broadband

The local authority has appointed Commsworld to plan, design, migrate and manage a new solution to 100 schools as part of a bid to improve education in the county.

A number of the county’s rural primary schools will benefit significantly, as many are still without reliable internet connections.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s cabinet, Coun Guy Renner Thompson, cabinet member for children’s services, was delighted with the news.

He said: “This is undoubtedly a very good decision for our schools. This will be quite life changing for some of our more rural schools.

“It will have a large impact across the county. The internet is more and more important, particularly after the pandemic with so many virtual meetings.”

Participating schools will gain access to the fastest full fibre internet connection with speeds of up to 1Gb per school. This will include full reliability, enhanced security and safeguarding support with a fully filtered real-time connectivity to ensure all pupils are kept safe online.

The council’s deputy leader, Coun Richard Wearmouth, added: “This could be up to 100 times faster. It’s a considerable leap forward in capability and really critical, as internet connection is so important to learning, so we don’t fall short.

“This is a pivotal moment for education in Northumberland. Soon our schools will be able to access the best connectivity to deliver far better digital education through a wide range of devices – bringing them up to date with the latest technologies.

“I look forward to seeing the benefits of this new service over the coming years which will help provide the best learning experience, and security, for our young people and school staff alike.”

Steve Wood, group sales director at Commsworld, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by Northumberland County Council to deliver this contract. Our service will pave the way for a significant enhancement of capacity, resilience and security in schools so that they can gain access to the best digital resources available today and in the future.

“We look forward to playing a key role in this digital journey for Northumberland County Council, its educators and its pupils.”