Intel unveils classroom-in-a-box for schools with weak wireless

Digital content is great for education, but many teachers around the world can’t depend on electricity, let alone a wireless connection.

To help, Intel has created its catchily-named Education Content Access Point. Looking a bit like a flattened router, this device holds a teacher’s class materials, letting up to 50 students connect at once to download videos, presentations and other learning tools to their devices. It works with any file type, Intel said, and can be accessed with any laptop or tablet.

If there’s power and internet, it’s similar to any cloud-based teaching platform. But, if the power goes out, it has a five-hour battery life, enough to continue the class and get around rolling blackouts.

And, if the internet goes down – or a school simply doesn’t have a connection – students can still access the content. The Education Content Access Point has its own built-in connectivity, so teachers can upload content via USB and share it out to students even without the internet. Because the device is light and portable, teachers can use it outdoors, in different classrooms and take it home with them for lesson planning.

While the Education Content Access Point could clearly be useful for emerging markets with less robust infrastructure, Intel’s government and education specialist Eileen Lento told PC Pro at the BETT education show in London that it could also find a place in countries such as the UK, for smaller schools that need an easy way to manage class content or that have wobbly wireless.

The Intel Education Content Access Point is powered by an Atom E3815 and has 500GB of storage. It’s available immediately via Intel’s channel partners.