Ultimately, and as reported in the article, the Internet bandwidth demand of schools has been growing, and is likely to continue to grow in the short-to-medium term, as online tools and resources are leveraged to a greater degree in the classroom and by individuals \u2013 including children \u2013 as we become ever more connected. However, the service being provided to schools can already be expensive, as is the Jamaica experience, and increasing the bandwidth, to better accommodate the perceived demand, might beyond what schools can afford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It thus appears that we are in a conundrum, which is not just limited to schools. There may be a need to feed a seemingly unending demand for bandwidth \u2013 that we hope will remedy much of the quality of service issues that are being experienced \u2013 but for which we cannot necessarily afford the rates payable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with many conundrums, there are no easy answers or pat solutions. However, below we outline three ways, which individually, but more powerfully together, that could help organisations, and even countries, better manage our seemingly insatiable need for faster Internet speeds and more bandwidth<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1.  Address the problems in your backyard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned earlier, and in the case of schools in Jamaica, damaged or outdated equipment is contributing to the poor Internet service quality that is being experienced. Although securing faster packages from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) could (arguably) improve the situation, the state of the equipment, and even how internal networks\/infrastructure have been deployed and configured, can undermine Internet performance. Even the age of end-user devices, such as desktop and laptop computers, along with whether devices might contain malware, should also be considered, as they can have a noticeable impact on Internet access speeds and service quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there seems to be an expectation that the ISPs are responsible for the wiring and infrastructure that has been deployed within users\u2019 premises. In most countries and many instances, that is not the case. Similar to electricity services, any telecoms equipment, wiring and infrastructure beyond the main distribution point, that is the point where a site is connected to the ISP\u2019s network, it is the customer\u2019s responsibility, not the ISP’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, many organisation make little or no provision to maintain or upgrade their telecoms equipment and\/or infrastructure, and so may find after a few years \u2013 similar with one\u2019s smartphone, for example \u2013 the network is not as responsive as it used to be. Hence, end-users and organisations ought to examine their internal networks and be prepared to invest in upgrading them as part of the effort needed to ensure optimal Internet performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2.  Store more content locally<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest issues that currently is being experienced is the fact that much of the files, or rather content, that is being generated locally, is being stored in remote locations outside the Caribbean country (in which it was generated), or the region \u2013 although that content is being accessed within the same Caribbean country. Good examples of this are the lessons teachers prepare for their classes, or the files and documents employees have created solely for use within their organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to well-known platforms, such as Google and Dropbox, we are able to access free online storage. However, access to these platforms can consume considerable bandwidth (depending on the size of the files being accessed), which could be considered wasteful, especially when the users are all in the same location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There could thus be a case for storage servers to be available locally, or even regionally, which can be configured to be accessed without having to use the Internet. With regard to education, many governments are moving towards deploying education management information systems to better support education administration and management. However, the majority of them rely on the Internet for connectivity, which inherently is also a vulnerability. Bringing some of the network equipment, such as the servers, could reduce the need for the internet access at every instant, whilst also making the network more robust and resilient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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