Press relese

ntl powers high-speed education grid for Hertfordshire

• Announcing £22.6 million contract to broadband-enable the Hertfordshire Grid for Learning (HGfL)
• Delivering broadband access to all Hertfordshire schools ahead of 2006 government target
• Enabling a range of innovative new applications for pupils

ntl’s business division, a leading provider of communications services to the public sector, has been selected to support full broadband migration for the Hertfordshire Grid for Learning (HGfL). The contract, worth £22.6m over five years, will see ntl deliver secure, fully-managed high-speed Internet access to over 557 schools and educational establishments and ten residential children’s homes across the county.

ntl has supported the HGfL for five years and to date has broadband-enabled 245 schools within the Local Education Authority (LEA). Government targets require all schools to have broadband access by August 2006. As part of the new contract ntl will migrate a further 313 Junior, Primary and Nursery schools to 2MB broadband access by March 2005. Hertfordshire’s 85 secondary schools will also be upgraded to 10MB broadband access by March 2006, ensuring the LEA meets modernisation objectives well ahead of schedule.

The additional bandwidth delivered by the ntl broadband connections will open up a wide range of new applications and resources to schools across the Grid. Faster download times will improve access to the wealth of online content provided by the HGfL. In addition, remote tuition, delivered via video-conferencing, and multi-media presentations for assemblies can now be implemented.

Web software is provided to protect students from inappropriate and harmful content, and teachers have the facility to monitor all Internet access.

John Warwick, Deputy Head at St Luke’s school in Hertfordshire, comments on the benefits broadband has brought to his pupils: “High-speed Internet access from ntl is transforming the way we teach at St Luke’s. Not only has it boosted our ICT lessons, it has also opened up new applications and resources to other subject areas. We have already implemented video-conferencing, enabling pupils to communicate with other schools in Hertfordshire and across the country as well as organisations such as museums and art galleries in London. We are currently looking at a range of new projects, such as online broadcasting, which simply wouldn’t be possible without broadband.”

Dave Osborne, Business Services Director for ntl’s business division, London & East said: “In 1999 the HGfL was one of the first UK Grids to launch and has since provided the foundations for numerous innovative projects across the county’s schools. ntl is delighted to have been involved in this valuable initiative and we look forward to supporting the next phase of its development, which will also ensure Hertfordshire meets the Government’s ambitious broadband targets well ahead of schedule. Securing this new contract testifies not only to the quality of the technical solution that ntl can deliver, but also to the dedication of the local support team.”

ntl will deliver a fully-managed service to the HGfL, providing 24x7 network support including a dedicated help desk providing one-on-one assistance for queries and technical issues. The support line number will be displayed in every network suite in every school across the county, providing a simple and effective means for pupils and teachers to access advice whenever they need it.