Last year, the bandwidth of internet access doubled at more than one thousand schools in Hungary, Minister of State for Infocommunication Vilmos Vályi-Nagy announced at a press conference on the achievements of the project Sulinet+ in Mezőkeresztes on 30 January, 2014. Developments are to continue in some 3800 educational institutions this year.
In the knowledge-based economy of the future, creative industries representing high added value will have an outstanding role. In order to reinforce these sectors we need well-trained workforce and competitive education, Vilmos Vályi-Nagy pointed out.
Computer skills education and the use of IT facilities have gained increasing ground at primary schools. For opportunity creation it is essential to provide educational institutions in Hungary and especially smaller settlements and disadvantaged regions with adequate technology, the Minister of State emphasised.
Instead of services that are not available or expensive at the market, a high-standard IT network unique even internationally is being established with EU support, within the framework of a development project launched last year, Vilmos Vályi-Nagy underlined. After the broadening of the bandwidth, further EU funding of some HUF 12 bn are to be made available for the development of IT facilities at schools: 4400 interactive boards, 4300 student tablets, 3800 new work stations and 14 000 laptops are to be given to educational institutions.
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Through the modernisation of the Sulinet and the continuation of the band broadening project, the internet connection of all primary and secondary schools in Hungary is to be updated and access speed is to rise by leaps and bounds, in certain cases by several times.
The earlier installed internet connection has become obsolete at several educational institutions and old network facilities well beyond their warranty period are suitable for restricted use only. Renewing the Sulinet connection has thus become absolutely urgent in over 4800 schools.
In 2013, a new phase began in the central IT supply of schools. Within the framework of the Sulinet+ project, the National Information Infrastructure Development Institute took over the development and operation of the network and core services of public education institutions last January. The old and outdated facilities of Sulinet are to be replaced by up-to-date ones, while providing increasingly broad bandwidth to users.
The targets to be achieved in network access services are, where possible symmetrical, connections of minimally 10 Mbps for small institutions, 40 Mbps for those of medium size and 50-100 Mbps for priority institutions. In 2013, bandwidth was broadened in 1052 schools; network developments are to be implemented in 962 schools in the first half of 2014, to be followed by another 2841 in the second half.
As a result of the broadening of the bandwidth, some 1.6 million students and teachers at public education institutions are to be provided with the top quality IT services of the new Sulinet+, outstanding even in a European comparison. The developments will enable, among others, more direct cooperation opportunities for schools with international research and education networks.
(Ministry of National Development Communications Department)
