SLT's Broadband through SchoolNet

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) said it is the infrastructure and service provider for SchoolNet, a new online educational system, which will improve efficiency and increase academic achievement in public schools across the nation.

As a part of the Secondary Education Modernisation Project under the Ministry of Education, the initiative is set to revolutionise the way school administrators operate, the way teachers teach, the way parents are involved as well as the way in which children learn.

SchoolNet allows teachers and students from schools throughout the nation to access reference material, tutorials, emails and other educational programs over the Internet.

In addition, for the first time teachers will be able to access several lesson plans on their computers. SLT's IPVPN solution will connect schools islandwide to one unified network, which is SchoolNet, through the provision of multiple products such as voice, video, broadband Internet, network services and hosting services.

Around 1,100 schools are to be connected under the first phase of the project, with 5,000 schools to be connected to the network by 2010.

SLT's IPVPN would allow all schools islandwide to have access to a centralised IT network at any given time, which will enable them to communicate with Network Operations Centre (NOC), at the University of Moratuwa.

The planned network can carry Internet Protocol (IP) traffic - voice, video, mission critical and standard class data facilitating islandwide schools with seamless connectivity. It is a secured and fully managed network.

P. N.E. Abayasekara, Acting CEO of SLT said, "Our involvement in SchoolNet demonstrates SLT's commitment to collaborate with the Government to take the education system to greater heights.

Since education is of extreme importance to the country, it will bring facilities to improve and enhance the methods of learning and teaching further..