Public Wi-Fi helps Hertfordshire bring community together post-COVID

The Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) was exploring ways to create a secure, safe, and comfortable environment for its residents after the isolation of COVID.  As in many communities, the pandemic had taken its toll on mental health, and the Council wanted to create community hubs where people could visit and engage.

“We are trying to improve people’s mental health in the community by trying to give back the sense of togetherness in our people-centric community centre.” says Mark McCullough, Network Manager at HCC. “During lockdown, people felt isolated and vulnerable as they sensed they were losing their bonds with those around them.”

Public Internet access has long been available in Hertfordshire libraries, social centers, and other community hubs, but slow wireless LAN was not fit for the expanded community engagement objectives.

With a small IT team responsible for a large network (over 12,000 connections – 8,500 users) that serves citizens, government offices, and libraries, HCC needed a modern and easily managed wireless network.

Juniper’s wireless access solution delivers real-time insights into the exact performance and service levels that mobile users and devices are experiencing. It automates corrective action with network self-tuning that identifies and fixes problems before they can negatively impact user sessions. As a result, no network-related trouble tickets have been raised at HCC sites with the new Juniper wireless. But more important than a quiet helpdesk is the impact of better connectivity on the community.

“We are trying to encourage people to come back together,” says McCullough. “It’s essential for us to have good technology like Juniper in our community hubs to improve the mental health of our community.”

With Juniper, Hertfordshire residents have access to faster wireless Internet in libraries, community centers, and other public buildings. Residents can come to their community hubs to meet likeminded people, volunteer, or sign up for a garden allotment. They can get social care for their children, older relatives, or family members with disabilities as well as help with the rising cost of living.

McCullough notes that the Council’s 8,500-strong staff will also benefit from office Wi-Fi that is faster, more secure, and supports more mobile devices. IT staff can be more productive, too, with an AI-driven network that delivers proactive insights and actions for continuous, high-quality user experiences.

With most of HCC’s  workforce working from home during the pandemic, many are now adopting a hybrid working style. Having good workplace Wi-Fi is essential for workers and this can often encourage workers to engage in frequent office visits, because they know they will have a stable and reliable internet connection . McCullough adds: “ It’s important to maintain good contact with our colleagues and be physically present in the office at times. Having good connectivity in the workplace is another benefit of physically coming in to the workplace.”