Digital transformation is the foundation for future learning

Digital transformation in higher education is no longer aspirational – it’s a daily necessity. Today’s campus experience, whether in-person, hybrid or fully remote, depends on fast, secure and scalable internet infrastructure. From hybrid learning models and AI-powered research tools to high-resolution video streaming, simulations and collaborative cloud workflow environments, the modern university is undergoing a massive connectivity revolution.

Yet many universities still rely on outdated wireless networks built for a different era – one centred on email and web browsing, not real-time collaboration, 4K lecture capture, augmented reality (AR) or constant access to high-resolution data across sprawling campuses.

As AI models rapidly increase in complexity and become more powerful and data-hungry, they place enormous strain on these legacy systems. The result? Bandwidth bottlenecks, signal congestion, low throughput and latency – factors that directly hinder the quality of learning.

Three infrastructure challenges

Working with universities globally, we typically see infrastructure gaps emerge in three areas:

• Bandwidth limitations, either between audiovisual (AV) devices or when accessing cloud-based services. These can often be resolved through targeted upgrades and careful engineering.

• Inadequate Wi-Fi density in older buildings and large lecture halls. Students now connect multiple devices simultaneously, creating intense traffic. While technical solutions have been available for over a decade, many institutions still struggle with basic roaming performance.

• Fragmented multi-vendor IT/AV networks that create silos, add complexity and increase security risks. Some can be reconfigured; others require upgrades. All need a clear network map and a plan for scalable, unified architecture. In smart lecture theatres, for example, AV-over-IP (Internet Protocol) switching is often deployed to manage high-quality video streaming between rooms and lecture capture systems. However, when the underlying IT network lacks robustness or multicast capability – particularly at the edge – universities encounter issues such as latency, audio dropouts and connection failures.

Transformation with Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 7 – the newest generation of Wi-Fi technology – represents more than an incremental upgrade. It is transformative, greatly outperforming wired networks in dense environments. With features like multi-link operation and 4K-QAM, it delivers faster, more resilient connectivity, supports ultra-low latency and improves power efficiency, helping student devices last longer and perform better.

Earlier Wi-Fi standards, while functional, fail to meet the evolving demands of modern academic institutions. Wi-Fi 7, by contrast, aligns with the three pillars of modern networking: security, performance and futureproofing.

Future-facing applications like augmented reality or virtual reality environments, AI simulations and 4K broadcasts demand this level of performance, and even partial rollouts – prioritising libraries, lecture halls or accommodation and dorms – can dramatically enhance digital learning. Our own experience is that at one institution with over 10,000 students, a targeted upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 led to a dramatic reduction in IT support tickets, from 100 a day to just a few.

Scaling without strain

To meet these evolving challenges, universities require frictionless networking: fast, secure and easy-to-configure wireless networks that scale dynamically across departments and buildings, adapt to new demands and minimise IT overheads. The goal is simple: connectivity so reliable, it becomes invisible.

With a well-dimensioned network design and smart monitoring, Wi-Fi uptime of 99.99% is achievable, with only a few hours of planned annual downtime for upgrades needed. This is not simply about adding more switches and access points. It is about adaptive, cloud-managed architecture with built-in monitoring, designed to scale without continuous re-engineering.

When implemented well, frictionless networking lowers total cost of ownership for universities, eases the IT burden and ensures that the network remains an enabler, not a barrier, to academic activity.

Modern, energy-efficient networks can also reduce power consumption by enabling intelligent Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) management and remote shutdown of idle devices, contributing to both environmental targets and long-term cost savings.

The role of integrators

Smart Wi-Fi infrastructure requires smart integration and design. An experienced integration partner can help universities to audit not only their Wi-Fi, but wired networks as well, identify gaps and design hybrid AV/IT architectures that efficiently offload multicast AV traffic in Wi-Fi areas. This allows institutions to tap into open, scalable solutions that reduce licensing costs and avoid vendor lock-in.

Integrators will not only install equipment but align technology with institutional priorities – academic, operational and strategic. They understand networking and AV requirements and can also help universities to tackle one of the biggest risks of all: cybersecurity.

There have been a number of recent ransomware attacks on institutions like the University of Manchester and Stanford University. Recent UK government-backed figures show that 91% of the country’s higher education institutions and 85% of further education colleges have suffered a cyber breach or attack in the past year. With larger volumes of data shared over Wi-Fi, personal data, intellectual property and financial information are at stake, and fragmented systems are a growing liability.

Cybersecurity must be built into the network architecture itself. This includes segmenting traffic for students, staff, guests and ‘Internet of Things’ devices; deploying Zero-Trust frameworks; and implementing multi-layered security protocols with encryption, access controls and AI-enabled, real-time threat detection.

As higher education shifts to digital-first learning, Wi-Fi networks move beyond infrastructure to become mission-critical assets. Without scalable, secure connectivity, delivered and supported by reliable vendors and experienced integrators, the vision of a smarter, more immersive and more inclusive AI-powered university cannot be fully realised.

For institutions embarking on a new network journey, this is more than just an upgrade; it’s the foundation for the future of learning.

Richard Jonker is vice-president for marketing and business development at NETGEAR.

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.