American University of Sharjah Deploys Campus-Wide Wi-Fi
American University of Sharjah (AUS) in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) has implemented wireless infrastructure across its
200-acre campus, including lecture halls, student dorms and outdoor green
spaces.
Prior to this deployment, the university had Wi-Fi in select administrative
buildings only, but the growing number of students with mobile devices, as well
as increasing use of online applications and digital curriculum spurred a demand
for campus-wide wireless infrastructure.
The university conducted an 18-month proof-of-concept trial of numerous
wireless technologies, including cloud-based controllerless solutions and
on-premises controller-based solutions. AUS tested each solution in live
environments for three-to-four week trial periods. At the end of the process,
AUS selected Smart Wi-Fi network infrastructure from Ruckus
Wireless because it offered the lowest total cost of ownership and because
it could "extend signal coverage and strength, thereby delivering higher data
rates to users," according to a news release from Ruckus.
The university partnered with Fiber Optic
Supplies and Services (FOSS) to design, plan, test and implement the
solution, which includes more than 1,400 dual-band Ruckus ZoneFlex indoor and
outdoor Smart Wi-Fi access points (APs). AUS can manage the unified wireless
system remotely from a single point through redundant Ruckus ZoneDirector
controllers.
The new infrastructure supports more than 6,000 students and hundreds of
faculty and staff, and according to a news release from Ruckus, it provides
"high-density wireless connectivity, pervasive performance and carrier-grade
reliability essential to supporting online examinations and multimedia
applications." AUS has reported a 46 percent reduction in fault calls since the
implementation. Students previously had problems connecting to the university's
wired network from their dorms, but the implementation of the wireless network
has effectively neutralized those problems.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].