Topic > The Need for Wi-Fi in Schools

A number of school administrations continue to argue that wired connections are the best option for Internet access. However, Wi-Fi has caught on in schools, FAST, aided by the equally rapid development of the technology. The entire new line of devices, such as tablets and smartphones, no longer support physical network connections. Apple has even eliminated wired ports on its latest line of MacBook Pro laptops. Imagine a school full of young students driven mad by modern technology without Wi-Fi. Furthermore, when it comes to education alone, Wi-Fi shows many advantages over the wired network. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Today's young generation of students, no doubt, have become addicted to their mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, e-readers, laptops. Each student usually has 3 to 5 devices and will not leave home without one. They always carry devices with them, which translates into their expectation of connectivity. Of these devices, the laptop is the only one that accepts the wired port. Other devices can use 3G connections, but 3G is often slow and quite expensive. School wireless network is inevitable for these gadget addicts. It seems like no one uses the wired network ports at school anymore! Similar to landlines being replaced by cell phones in every household, people have started choosing Wi-Fi over wired connections for its convenience, and students are no exception given their love for mobile devices, as mentioned in previous paragraph. Many young people aren't even familiar with a cable connection and have had wireless Internet for as long as they can remember. A wired connection, including cabling, labor, port, and setup, can cost over $300. The time to add just one more wired port should also be taken into consideration due to everyone physically running the cable and setup of the switch. On top of this, the new port will require technical support which may further increase costs in the long term. However, even if schools manage to fund such high infrastructure costs, they are unlikely to be able to provide enough ports for all students and staff. On the other hand, it is always difficult for schools to keep up with updated technology. In most cases, we see many libraries or computer labs equipped with a limited number of older wired computers, compared to the number of students who need Internet access. If schools had Wi-Fi, they could save a lot of money on technology costs by encouraging students to bring their own devices. Students bring their advanced mobile devices into schools anyway, so why not take advantage of this advantage. Investing in Wi-Fi is undoubtedly less expensive than in advanced devices. While it works well, the wired connection has many restrictions; the most obvious one is that users can only log in from a specific physical location. Mobility is sacrificed for Internet connection. Wi-Fi does not have this problem. Everyone can access the Internet from anywhere in the school with immediate response times. Teachers will then have the ability to plan more creative classroom activities and connect the classroom together. With Wi-Fi connected devices at hand, it's never been easier for students to edit, save and share documents anytime, anywhere. Students can also work on projects with their peers from other schools. This improves teamwork and we all know.