Keep Your Campus Connected: Why Long-Reach technology with Power Over Ethernet is perfect for your campus
By Gayla Arrindell
Published: July 20, 2023
In today's digital age, connectivity plays a vital role in our daily lives, especially when it comes to safety. Whether you’re at a sports stadium, an outdoor shopping mall, or a scenic park, people expect to have reliable connectivity to communicate and collaborate.
This is particularly true for academic environments. Higher education campuses are bustling hubs of learning and innovation that require a robust network to support the academic success and safety of students and faculty. One solution that enables reliable connectivity and safety measures is long-reach technology.
What is Long-Reach Technology?
Long-reach technology is a cost-effective and scalable connectivity solution that delivers dependable high-bandwidth connectivity and low voltage power at distances up to 2,000 ft. As opposed to traditional solution of Power Over Ethernet (PoE) that delivers connectivity up to 328 ft, Corning’s Long-Reach solutions supply reliable connectivity and power over much longer distances and at much higher bandwidths. Comprised of a long-reach flexible cable infrastructure, an intelligent remote power solution and connectivity at the edge, this fiber-based network architecture really does go the distance. Remote, low voltage power also eliminates the need for costly power outlets at the end of each connection, making it an ideal solution for seamless connectivity throughout campuses and facilities.
This innovative solution offers a multitude of benefits and revolutionizes the way academic campuses operate and enhance the overall educational experience.
Enhanced Safety and Security
Long-reach technology can play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and security of academic campuses. With powered network devices strategically deployed throughout campuses, school representatives can effectively monitor and protect their premises in areas that were initially difficult to access, including parking garages. Crime deterring technologies including CCTV surveillance cameras, emergency blue phones, and access control card readers are essential campus security measures that can be easily added by having connectivity at the edge with the 10G HPoE Fiber Media Converters or Touchless Networking found in Corning’s Long-Reach solutions.
It is especially important that campus networks remain agile and adaptable as new emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), become more integrated in various safety applications. With hybrid powered fiber cable, campuses can utilize AI-enabled facial recognition in CCTV cameras to manage crowd control and monitor potential threats.
New Connectivity Use Cases
Now, more than ever, campuses must prepare for the quickly evolving connectivity landscape to provide the best educational experience for their students. As smart buildings become increasingly common, facilities will need to harness the power of fiber to house smart campus features, reduce network latency, and remain adaptable for unforeseen future solutions.
Thanks to the fiber and copper hybrid structure of Corning’s ActiFi® cable, long-reach technology establishes a solid supply of the power and fiber needed to enable smart campus technologies like CCTV surveillance cameras, wireless access in parking lots, free standing informational kiosks, and more.
With new generations of Wi-Fi becoming available by the end of 2023, higher educational campuses will also need to invest in fiber connectivity to increase bandwidth and reduce network latency.
Once Corning’s Long-Reach solutions are installed, your campus will be prepared to welcome future connectivity technologies, including Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 and 5G Enterprise Radio Access Networks, with little interruption.
Cost Efficient and Future-Ready Qualities
Maintaining campus aesthetics, architecture, and history should not come at the cost of upgrading your network. The adaptable and scalable characteristics of fiber will allow campuses to preserve their historical significance, optimize restricted spaces, and utilize legacy switches. Corning’s field engineers will work with your campus operators to design a powered, fiber-based network specially designed for your needs.
Furthermore, Corning’s Long-Reach solutions utilize low voltage power which lowers the total cost of ownership and eliminates the need for a certified electrician to install and maintain your long-reach system.
Take the campus of North Carolina School of Science and Math (NCSSM) for example. The STEM-based high school needed a sustainable, secure, and connected environment throughout its 88-acre campus for in-person and virtual collaboration. By installing a state-art-of-the-art software-defined network using ActiFi® composite cable, NCSSM was able to streamline its network while deepening and strengthening the overall connectivity amongst over 300 students. Now, NCSSM and its students have the foundation to adapt to new technologies within the foreseeable future and beyond.
To learn how Corning’s Long-Reach solutions can connect your campus, click here.
