WIRRAL PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS FIRST TO BENEFIT FROM LCR CONNECT ’ S TOP OF THE CLASS FULL-FIBRE BROADBAND
School children attending Church Drive Primary School on the Wirral have had their ‘ learning experience enriched creating a myriad of opportunities ’ according to their headteacher , Joanna Jones .
Church Drive is the first school in the Liverpool City Region to benefit from a full fibre connection delivered by LCR Connect – a new 212km digital network that is capable of delivering the fastest internet speeds in the country .
Steve Rotheram , Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said : “ The world around us is changing faster than ever and I want to ensure that we keep up – LCR Connect is helping us to do that . We ’ re putting our communities at the cutting edge of digital connectivity with state-of-the-art infrastructure that will give them access to the fastest internet speeds in the entire country . It ’ s helping to attract new jobs , businesses and investment into the region and , best of all , LCR Connect is half-owned by the us , which means that we can continue to pump the returns back into the local economy and reap the benefits for years to come .
“ We ’ re already seeing the massive difference it ’ s making to local schools – but this is just the tip of the iceberg - our infrastructure will eventually link to our universities , to our hospitals , to our public spaces , and to residential homes across the city region helping to deliver better public services too . It ’ s a big step towards my ambition of making our region the most digitally connected place in the country – where no one is left behind .”
LCR Connect is a joint venture led by Mayor Steve Rotheram between the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority , which owns 50 % of the venture , alongside ITS Technology Group , and NGE , who are delivering the full fibre network that is being built across the six local authority areas of the Liverpool City Region .
The network , which is on track to be completed by the middle of this year , is designed to significantly improve connectivity for businesses and will support internet access for schools , and other organisations , making the city region among the best-connected areas of the UK .
One of seven schools that form Oak Trees Multi-Academy Trust , Church Drive Primary is achieving 100Mbps speeds through its broadband connection , nearly three times faster than the service it has replaced for download and more than ten times faster for the upload . This ultrafast service is being delivered and managed by local IT service providers Hi-Impact and Exa Networks .
Joanna Jones , headteacher at Church Drive Primary School said : “ As a school , we are very keen to make the best use of technology to enhance and improve the learning opportunities for our children . Access to a fast , reliable internet connection has now become a vital part of the curriculum . This new broadband service has transformed the enjoyment and ease of access to the many online resources and opportunities that enrich the day-to-day learning of our children . It also means that our teaching staff no longer have to implement ‘ plan B ’ which was a regular occurrence when our old broadband service couldn ’ t keep up with demand . Added to this , the children can now make effective use of the laptops and tablets that were generously donated to the school during the COVID-19 lockdowns .”
Councillor Ian Maher , Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Portfolio Holder for Digital Connectivity and Inclusion , said : “ Digital connectivity is an increasingly important factor in education and it is really exciting to see our local schools signing up to and benefitting from LCR Connect , our own ultrafast full-fibre network . I look forward to seeing many more schools and colleges signing up and enjoying the benefits of exceptional connectivity , alongside our local businesses .”
Claire Delahunty , JV partner ITS Technology Group ’ s ambassador for LCR Connect said : “ Connecting Church Drive Primary School to LCR Connect is a significant milestone for this substantial infrastructure project . It is the first of many schools and colleges set to benefit across the Liverpool City Region . Safe access to a high-speed internet connection is supporting these pupils in their education , in learning key digital skills that will set them up for life , and will hopefully be inspiring and nurturing some of the STEM superstars of the future too .”
Mark Cowgill , Co-founder and Commercial Director , Exa Networks said : “ Demand for fast , reliable broadband services has increased significantly in recent years , and has been accelerated further by the COVID-19 pandemic . LCR Connect is an exciting project which is totally reshaping how IT services can be accessed . The gigabit-capable services it provides are helping schools and businesses across the city region to access online services and applications . It is making a change for good .”
Alan Thompson , Managing Director of education IT specialist Hi-Impact said : “ We are proud to look after the IT needs of more than 100 schools across the city region including Church Drive Primary School . We understand the pressures and challenges of poor connectivity and how it can disrupt and undermine engagement in the classroom . Church Drive Primary School ’ s previous online experience was not fit for purpose because of the lack of access to full fibre infrastructure in the Liverpool City Region – that is why this new network is so exciting for schools . LCR Connect provides a cost effective broadband connection that can scale with the needs of the school , which is so important when already squeezed budgets are having to stretch further .”
LCR Connect is on track to be completed this year . It is designed to underpin economic growth , innovation , inward investment , and job creation . In fact , experts estimate that , with 100 % gigabit-capable fibre coverage across the city region , the economic boost could be worth up to £ 1bn , creating thousands of local job and training opportunities .
Organisations and businesses across the city region are invited to register their interest in connecting to the network by visiting Network Build | LCR Connect .
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