New York City school system looks to phase out landlines
Key Highlights
- The initiative involves replacing thousands of landlines with a modern, internet-based communication system across 1,800 schools.
- The district has not disclosed specific costs but emphasizes the project's significant scope and impact.
- The move reflects a broader trend toward digital transformation in educational institutions.
The New York City school system wants to phase out the thousands of telephone landlines at its 1,800 schools and is set to seek bids from companies to install a strictly online system.
The New York Post reports that the city's department of education has sent out an information request to potential bidders, a precursor for an official bid for a new telecommunications system.
“As our schools, city, and world evolves, we are in the infancy stages of evaluating telecommunications alternatives that would significantly reduce our reliance on traditional landlines,” a district representative said.
The school district is looking to “transition from aging digital PBX [Private Branch Exchange] systems to a unified, resilient, and cost-effective VOI [Voice over Internet Protocol] ecosystem.”
School district officials declined to specify the costs of such an overhaul or how many landlines would be replaced. But it would clearly be a massive undertaking.
The new telecommunication system must support 150,000 staffers in 1,800 schools serving 900,000 students, as well as outreach to parents, meaning multilingual features would have to be part of any plan.