Campuses Are Preparing Their Wireless Infrastructure for the Future
A question and answer session with Gary DePreta from Cisco
For colleges and universities, upgrading campus wireless infrastructure is no longer just a matter of a few select technical upgrades. To deliver on the promise of new technologies and meet the operational expectations of a modern university group, forward-thinking IT leaders plan to modernize their networks – from the ground up and into the future.
The institutions are now planning a multi-year, comprehensive modernization of the campus’s wireless infrastructure. Not only do these plans offer the speed and features of the latest WiFi technology; They bring a future-ready state to campus that can respond quickly to a wave of AI-driven applications, the proliferation of new BYOD devices saturating bandwidth, or the explosive growth of data repositories generated by novel research programs.
Whatever comes, universities want to be ready to transform new technologies and practices into opportunities for innovation and, ultimately, ROI on the institution’s investment in wireless infrastructure.
Insights from Gary DePreta, Cisco’s Senior Vice President for U.S. Public Sector
Here we speak with Gary DePreta, Cisco’s senior vice president for U.S. public sector, about modernizing wireless infrastructure and a study just released by Cisco (April 2026) that helps strategists understand the impact of radical changes in the wireless ecosystem.
Maria Grush: Thank you for speaking with us today about modernizing wireless infrastructure for higher education.
Gary DePreta: It’s nice to be here… I’m happy to do it. As you and your readers may know, Mary, we just published our first report on “The State of Wireless.” My chat with you here is the first conversation I’m having externally about this fantastic research report from Cisco.
Adapting to Modern Campus Needs
Grush: Let’s start with a question that is central to campus strategies in today’s highly connected learning environments.
In campus environments, the demand for hybrid learning, connected devices, and innovative applications for teaching, administration, and research is increasing. How are these trends changing wireless infrastructure requirements in higher education?
DePreta: We’re all seeing a lot of momentum around education wireless infrastructure, but the most important thing schools are realizing now is to respond not with another technology upgrade, but with true campus-wide network modernization. This is the mindset that ultimately leads to ROI.
Comprehensive Network Modernization
Grush: Colleges and universities have improved their networks over the years, but today seems different. New opportunities and increasing demands point to comprehensive changes.
DePreta: Yes. But keep in mind that despite the major modernizations that would address some of these issues and technically support many innovations, it is important to understand that at the end of the day, we want to provide an extremely positive experience for students, faculty, administrators, and researchers. It’s not about the technology or the tools; It’s about providing the best possible experience.
Source: Here
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