Service and connectivity, from Windsor to Kapuskasing

“We’re one of the smallest colleges in the province but have the largest geographical footprint. The only network provider that can go to the breadth we require is Bell.”
Ben Bonin, IT Director
Collège Boréal

Connectivity has become essential to deliver the experience students and staff expect. It’s particularly important for an institution like Collège Boréal, which has 36 locations in 27 communities across Ontario, ranging from full campuses to smaller service centres. Boréal’s vast footprint – not to mention the unique circumstances of each location – can make ensuring high-quality, reliable connectivity a challenge. For IT Director Ben Bonin, Bell is the clear choice for managing connectivity across every site.

A big footprint means big needs

With sites and students throughout Ontario – from Windsor in the south to Ottawa in the east and Kapuskasing in the north – Collège Boréal was an early adopter of collaboration tools and video conferencing to enable remote and inter-campus learning.

The school has been using the Bell network for a decade to connect the primary location in Sudbury to its largest campuses across the province, all managed 24/7/365. They also use a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) to reach smaller satellite locations.

“Even before the pandemic, we were offering a lot of courses online,” says Bonin. “So the shift to remote learning was a little easier for us because we already had the infrastructure in place to support it.”

In addition to enabling remote learning, connectivity also powers community development hubs, especially in rural parts of Ontario. At Boréal’s access and employment centres, students and other members of the community can come in and use the Internet to take courses, look for jobs, access immigration services and more.

“In the North, some of these areas are very challenged in terms of having a fast, reliable Internet connection. Being able to offer that connectivity to the community is very important for us.”

An enhanced student experience

Bonin has also been pleased with the level of service Boréal receives. When he was having problems with routers that had a known defect, Bell replaced them immediately. “I didn’t have to dispatch my own team. Bell just went out and replaced the routers. That type of partnership, especially in our remote locations, is so key for us,” says Bonin.

The reliable connectivity provided by Bell has allowed Collège Boréal to deliver dynamic virtual classes. For example, smart cameras with facial recognition can automatically track lecturers as they move around, but focus on students or other speakers when they ask questions or contribute to the conversation.

“We always try to leverage the latest technologies to make remote learning more exciting and engaging for students. Our partnership with Bell allows us to do that.”

The right coverage and expertise

When Boréal was evaluating potential network providers, having Canada’s largest voice and data network made Bell the obvious choice: no other company offered the kind of coverage and network resiliency to reach all of Collège Boréal’s sites across the province.

Today, Bonin particularly appreciates Bell’s technical expertise. Based on each site’s connectivity needs and the local infrastructure available, Bell provides tailored recommendations on the best type of network connection and the equipment required to make it happen.

In some cases, that means thinking creatively to overcome unexpected barriers. For example, Boréal is currently moving its Toronto campus to a different part of the downtown core. However, getting permits to dig underground has taken longer than expected due to the massive volume of construction projects happening in the city, resulting in delays in bringing connectivity to the new building. Bell provided a temporary solution using its cellular network until the permanent infrastructure is installed, to ensure the campus can still function.

“The relationships we have with our local Bell representatives are second to none,” says Bonin. “Not only when it comes to adopting and deploying new technologies, but also in helping us troubleshoot if we have any issues. Bell is always just a phone call away. That strong partnership is the reason why we are still doing a lot of business with Bell.”

The ability to quickly and easily scale bandwidth up and down as required is another important feature that helps Boréal meet the needs of each location.

“Some of our sites require less bandwidth, while other sites need more. It is very easy to increase our usage if we need to,” says Bonin. “Bell gives us that flexibility.”