Georgetown's Massive Wi-Fi 7 Upgrade with Cisco

Sarah Mitchell · 2026-02-17

Let's talk about something that's changing how students learn and live on campus. Georgetown University just made a huge move—they're partnering with Cisco to roll out the largest Wi-Fi 7 deployment in higher education. That's not just an upgrade; it's a complete transformation of their digital backbone. Think about it. A campus is like a small city. Thousands of students, faculty, and staff all trying to connect at once. From streaming lectures in a dorm room to collaborating on a research project in the library, the demand for reliable, fast internet is constant. And let's be honest, we've all felt that frustration when the Wi-Fi drops during something important. ### Why Wi-Fi 7 Matters Now You might be wondering, what's the big deal about Wi-Fi 7? Well, it's the next generation of wireless technology. It's not just a little faster; it's designed to handle a massive number of devices simultaneously without breaking a sweat. We're talking about speeds that can support 8K video streaming, advanced VR applications for learning, and real-time collaboration tools that feel seamless. For a university like Georgetown, this isn't about keeping up with trends. It's about building the foundation for the next decade of education. Imagine medical students practicing with virtual reality simulations, or engineering students working on complex 3D models together from different parts of campus. That's the potential here. ### The Scale of This Project This isn't a small pilot program. Georgetown's deployment is being called the largest of its kind in higher education. That means covering: - Academic buildings and lecture halls - Student dormitories and common areas - Libraries and research facilities - Outdoor spaces across the 104-acre campus The goal is ubiquitous, high-performance connectivity. No more dead zones in the basement of the history building or spotty service in the quad. It's about creating a consistent experience everywhere. ### What This Means for Students and Faculty For the people using this network every day, the benefits are tangible. Faster, more reliable connections mean less time waiting for files to upload or videos to buffer, and more time actually learning and creating. It enables new ways of teaching that weren't practical before. As one network administrator put it, 'We're not just installing new access points. We're building the nervous system for a smarter campus.' That's a powerful way to think about it. This infrastructure will support everything from basic web browsing to the most data-intensive academic applications. ### Looking Toward 2026 and Beyond This deployment positions Georgetown at the forefront of educational technology as we approach 2026. Other institutions will be watching closely. The lessons learned here—about implementation, management, and real-world performance—will shape how other universities think about their own network upgrades. It's a significant investment, but one that reflects how essential robust digital infrastructure has become to the modern university experience. Education isn't just happening in classrooms anymore; it's happening everywhere there's a connection. And Georgetown is making sure that connection is as strong as it can possibly be. The partnership with Cisco brings together academic vision with technological expertise. It's a collaboration aimed at solving real problems for real people trying to work and learn in an increasingly connected world. And that's something worth paying attention to, whether you're in higher education or just curious about where technology is taking us next.