MLL awarded DfE Connect the Classroom contract

Schools in South East England to receive WiFi network upgrades.

MLL Telecom, a leading provider of secure managed network services to the UK public sector, has provided schools in the South East of England with the latest local area network (LAN) and WiFi technology. This follows £2M funding secured under the DfE Connect the Classroom scheme.

A total of 25 academies and schools in East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Hampshire and Surrey have benefitted from upgraded fixed and wireless network connectivity supported by structured cabling infrastructure, ensuring higher connection speeds, safety, security and resilience.

Glenn Oakman, ICT Operations Manager at Brighton Academies Trust, said “We are extremely satisfied with the work MLL and NCS have delivered in terms of improved network and WiFi infrastructure for our schools. We now have much more reliable connectivity for all our staff and pupils, wherever they are located across the school premises and are already seeing productivity gains and far fewer calls to the helpdesk for slow internet speeds.”

“We are delighted to be part of the DfE’s initiative in equipping schools and academies with the secure and reliable high-speed network connectivity that teachers and students urgently need,” said Mark Freeborough, MLL Client Manager, Public Sector – South. “Our network solutions will help to maximise the learning experience with the potential for lessons being disrupted by patchy internet connection or slow response times a thing of the past.”

MLL is currently contracted by the South East Grid (SEG) to provide a range of full fibre Wide Area Network (WAN) managed services throughout the region, including to schools, councils and other public sector organisations.

On behalf of South East Grid for Learning, Keith Renshaw, Service Design Manager, IT & Digital, East Sussex County Council commented: “We are very pleased to be making effective use of the DfE’s Connect The Classroom initiative. With MLL’s ongoing support we can now provide these schools and academies with the secure, fast and dependable network access they really need.”