Flinders Uni to build $14m campus network

Flinders University has contracted Cisco and Dimension Data to help build a new $14 million campus network designed around digital learning and research.

The partners will deploy a network based on Cisco’s Unified Access platform, combined with mobility and video technologies.

The project aims to provide on-campus students BYOD access to a gigabit 802.11a/c Wi-Fi network.

The campus network will be designed to allow students to steam lecture content such as HD video feeds from the university’s Learning Management System.

Researchers will meanwhile be given access to a dedicated network offering speeds as high as 10 Gbps and the ability to self-provision the needed virtual servers or storage for their project.

Flinders University will also make use of Cisco’s TelePresence videoconferencing technology for collaboration between staff and with other universities and research facilities.

Adelaide-based Flinders University has around 22,000 students and around 2000 staff. The company has taken out financing from Cisco Capital to help fund the $14 million investment.