JCSU receives grant to upgrade tech and broadband

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY

Johnson C. Smith University received a $5.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce for campus technology upgrades and 5G broadband development.

The largest government grant in Johnson C. Smith University history is an investment in better broadband access in Historic West End.

The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded JCSU $5.7 million for campus technology upgrades and 5G broadband deployment. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration grant is part of a $268 million program directed to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions to acquire broadband internet access service and equipment or to hire and train information technology personnel.

JCSU, which submitted its proposal in 2021 through NTIA’s Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, was among 22 HBCUs to receive $69.2 million in grants.
“Applying for and receiving this grant titled The Charlotte Inclusive Tech-Innovation Pilot Program has been a labor of love,” Diane Bowles, vice president for Government Sponsored Programs and Research at JCSU said in a statement. “This project is important because broadband 5G deployment will help build a bridge between JCSU and our community.”

The upgrade from 3G to 5G internet will allow simultaneous connections to the internet without suffering from congestion, video buffering, random disconnects and other bandwidth-related hiccups. Improvements to the campus’ technology and broadband address Goal 4 of the Gold(en) Blueprint, JCSU’s five-year strategic plan.

“This is an exciting time for Johnson C. Smith University,” said John Norris, JCSU’s chief information officer. “Earning this competitive grant allows the JCSU community to take advantage of 5G internet.  As campus and community needs evolve, including the proliferation of mobile devices, it is exciting to create a network with high availability, recoverability, scalability and manageability.”

The grant will be used to modernize access layer and core layer switches and update JCSU’s digital capabilities for classroom instruction and surrounding communities. According to Pew Research Center, 4-in-10 low-income adults lack home broadband services or a computer. With the technological updates, Historic West End residents will be better connected to internet resources.

Conversations on digital development and economic growth at HBCUs began in 2018 at JCSU as part of the Carolinas Alliance for Success in Education Summit. A year later, the White House Initiative on HBCUs, local and state community partners launched a Minority Broadband Initiative to leverage partnerships with HBCUs and MSIs to bridge the digital divide on their campuses and communities.

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