Rockford Career College Selects Comcast Business Fiber-Based Ethernet Service to Help Students and Metro Area Compete in the 21st Century

Increases bandwidth seven-fold to advance BYOD, Moodle-based E-Learning and an expanded IT curriculum…

Rockford Career College (RCC), a nationally accredited two-year college with extensive continuing education programs, has deployed fiber-based Ethernet services from Comcast Business to increase its Internet bandwidth seven fold.  As the college looks to prepare students for the modern workforce, the increased bandwidth will support its new “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) program, online classes, e-textbooks and other 21^st century learning tools and resources that will enhance the in-class experience and support distance learning.  In turn, a more technologically advanced workforce fits in with efforts to advance the local economy, such as Transform Rockford.

Located in Rockford, IL, RCC’s mission is to provide relevant, career-specific training to prepare its degree, certificate and continuing education students with the skills they need to succeed in business accounting, information technology, paralegal, healthcare and a host of other occupations.  To prepare its students with real-world skills for the digital economy, in the years to come, the college wanted to implement a technology strategy that includes a new BYOD program, which would allow students to use their own phones and tablets as part of the curriculum. In addition, a new educational tool will allow students to access classes and coursework and take tests online.

Moreover, students can incur huge savings by using e-textbooks, which cost around $39.95, compared to $298 for a physical book – for students who may be buying up to four textbooks per quarter, the costs add up quickly.  The challenge for RCC was that its previous Internet download speed was only 12 Megabits per second (Mbps), which restricted it from creating its planned technology-immersive learning environment.

“The coming BYOD program is part of our long-term technology plan and provides numerous benefits to students and faculty as well as the city of Rockford,” said George Thompson, RCC’s director of Information Technology.  “Rockford’s economy is in the midst of a massive transformation and equipping local students with the skills required in the 21^st century business environment is our way of contributing to the economic advancement of the metro area.  By allowing students to use their smartphones, tablets and other devices as part of the curriculum, students will be able to learn, discuss and engage in new ways.

In short, these technologies and the Internet access used to power them is a huge step into the future for our students and for Rockford at large,” Thompson added.

To support the bandwidth requirements of RCC’s technology initiatives, the college deployed a fiber-based 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet access connection from Comcast Business that can scale up to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) as the college’s enrollment and network traffic grows.  Additionally, the faster connectivity is enabling RCC to start offering new IT certification classes in the high-demand areas of search engine optimization, social media, Web analytics and mobile applications, all of which require a fast, reliable Internet connection.

“Rockford is actively transforming its economy to meet the demands of the 21^st century.  A key part of that effort is ensuring that the metro area’s workforce has the skills to compete in today’s digital economy,” said Jay Dirkmaat, regional vice president, Comcast Business. “We believe there are strong ties between improving technology infrastructure and economic development, so we’re excited to provide the scalable Internet access RCC needs to infuse technology throughout its career-focused programs.”

About Comcast Business

Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a next-generation network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, Ethernet, TV and a full portfolio of Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management.

For more information, call 866-429-3085.  Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.

About Comcast Cable

Comcast Cable is the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

With nearly 7,000 local employees, Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region (chicago.comcast.com) serves customers in central and northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan.  “Like” Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region on Facebook by visiting Comcast of Illinois, NW Indiana and SW Michigan.  “Follow” Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region on Twitter at @ComcastIllinois.