The University of Sunderland, Sunderland City Council, and BAI Communications (BAI) have announced a new partnership to roll out advanced wireless technologies across all of the university’s campuses as part of the smart city roll out, advancing teaching, and enhancing the learning experience for students. The partnership will support research in key areas.
The University of Sunderland will soon become one of the UK’s first 5G-enabled campuses, placing it at the forefront of smart education. A 5G test facility will be built on the university’s Sir Tom Cowie campus in St. Peter’s.
The university community will profit from modernised learning settings and cutting-edge research opportunities for applications of 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) in significant local industries including manufacturing and healthcare. Additionally, it will expand students’ options for work in the digital sector.
The university’s campuses now have a new IoT network, which will increase the operational effectiveness of a wide range of services like estate management and footfall analytics. In order to provide access to the new, ultra-fast public WiFi service being made available across the centre of Sunderland and Roker as part of its roll-out of smart city infrastructure, enhanced public WiFi will be made available across the campuses utilising EduROAM.
With the announcement, Sunderland City Council and BAI have taken a big step toward realising their shared 2030 goal of building the most technologically sophisticated smart city in the UK, positioning Sunderland and the larger North East area at the forefront of digital innovation.
Students, businesses, visitors, and locals in Sunderland stand to gain a wide range of advantages from the use of smart city technologies. Other enhancements include boosting guest services and improving the fan experience at Sunderland AFC’s Stadium of Light, which houses wireless infrastructure services.
Students’ education will improve in a cutting-edge learning environment if they are given the opportunity to take use of technology advancements on campus. Additionally, the establishment of the new 5G test facility is a significant development that will solidify the University’s position as a pioneer in research and innovation in the area.
