In its role as a global network technology leader helping customers and partners to design and build the world’s most advanced communication networks, CommScope (NASDAQ: COMM) has detailed how the company is working with non-profit organizations, its partners and employees to provide assistance around the world for combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
“CommScope recognizes the need for the private sector to assist in the current crisis," commented Eddie Edwards, president and chief executive officer at CommScope. "We are working with organizations and communities around the world to provide much-needed communications equipment and expertise to support critical industries that are serving our communities. The actions we are taking align to CommScope’s purpose, vision and values, which is why our teams across the globe are reaching out to local organizations to get students connected for distance learning, and to offer relief to industries that are being hit hard at this time.”
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CommScope’s people, products and services are supporting a variety of needs. According to a press release, these efforts are as follows:
- Hospitals: In China, Europe and the U.S., CommScope donated product and expedited delivery of in-building wireless systems as new hospitals were built to support COVID-19 patients.
- Pop-up Wi-Fi centers: In conjunction with the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC), CommScope has donated outdoor wireless access points and switches, free support for a year, and cash to assist with pop-up centers for emergency healthcare delivery and homework hot spots.
“We’re honored and thrilled to continue our partnership with CommScope during this critical time,” commented Joe Hillis, founder of ITDRC. “They continue to amaze us by contributing their people, products, and financial support to enable us to provide Wi-Fi access to rural and underserved communities.”
- Distance learning support: CommScope is working with school districts, partners and service providers to extend coverage outdoors and equip school buses with outdoor access points with LTE backhaul, and PoE switching. The buses can then be parked in strategic locations to enable students to connect to the internet to complete schoolwork. This proof-of-concept has already been implemented in Indiana and Pennsylvania and is being explored by additional school districts throughout the U.S.
“The deployment of the external access points went very well,” commented Shawn Beard at Red Lion Area School District in York County, PA. “We published updated coverage maps on our website, and we know for a fact that students are using the expanded wireless connection. We actually had a parent with students sitting in the fire lane at our most southern elementary school while we were hanging the access point. She was thrilled to hear that they would now be able to get good connectivity from the parking lot. We greatly appreciate how the CommScope team has gone above and beyond for us.”
