On June 12th, we had the incredible opportunity to present at the 25th Annual UEN Tech Summit in Farmington, Utah. Walking into that packed room at Farmington High School, we knew we had an important story to tell – one about how schools across America are facing a connectivity crisis that's putting student safety and education at risk.
Dejero’s chief revenue officer, Kevin Fernandes, took the stage alongside our fantastic partners Graybar’s Eric Toenjes and educational IT expert Jason Eyre to tackle a problem that keeps school IT directors up at night: what happens when the internet goes down? Speaking to IT professionals, Kevin, Jason, and Eric shared compelling stories and also learned about school board needs and the critical importance of reliable connectivity.
What made this presentation special was Jason's genuine commitment to making schools safer.
He brought something special to our presentation – a genuine passion for making schools safe that clearly goes beyond just doing a job. His dedication to school safety is evident in how he's embedded himself in the community, working directly with educators and administrators to understand their real-world challenges.
"Jason really cares about making schools safe, and his passion shows in everything he does," Kevin noted. "He's not just talking about solutions from a distance – he's actively working within communities to understand what schools truly need. We're incredibly thankful to have him as part of the solution."
Meet Jason Eyre - the educational IT expert whose passion for school safety goes beyond the job. Here he is with one of the mobile connectivity solutions that's helping schools achieve truly resilient network coverage, rain or shine.
The reality check
We opened with headlines that unfortunately have become way too common in education news. Remember the University of Michigan campus internet outage on the first day of classes? Or when colleges were scrambling to recover from the massive CrowdStrike outage? These aren't isolated incidents – they're symptoms of a much bigger problem.
The July 2024 CrowdStrike disaster alone knocked out 8.5 million systems worldwide and was dubbed the largest IT outage in history. Universities had to cancel classes, and students couldn't access basic services. Then there was that cybersecurity incident at University of Michigan that left 50,000 students without internet right at the start of the school year. Imagine trying to register for classes, access your syllabus, or even get your student ID activated when the entire network is down.
"When I look at these headlines, I don't see just technical glitches," Kevin Fernandes shared with the audience. "I see students who can't access their coursework, teachers who can't deliver lessons, and worst of all – safety systems that fail when they're needed most. We knew there had to be a better way."
School safety compliance: More than just a requirement
Eric Toenjes emphasized the critical connection between network reliability and school safety compliance, particularly with Alyssa's Law requirements spreading across multiple states. "A number of states have signed up for school safety readiness initiatives to keep students safe," he explained. "But what people don't always realize is that when an emergency happens, first responders depend on connectivity for their radios and critical infrastructure."
The law requires schools to have silent panic alarm systems, but Kevin reinforced a crucial point that often gets overlooked: "Network connectivity isn't just about getting the alarm signal out – it's about ensuring there's sufficient bandwidth for video feeds, real-time communication, and all the digital tools that first responders need to assess and respond to situations effectively."
Behind every great presentation is great partnership! Kevin and Jason with the mobile connectivity solution that surprised UEN attendees - proving that reliable school connectivity doesn't have to be stationary.
Why this matters more than ever
During our presentation, we talked about five critical areas where connectivity failures are absolutely devastating for schools:
- Emergency Response – With states increasingly requiring silent panic alarm systems (thanks to Alyssa's Law), reliable connectivity isn't nice-to-have, it's literally required by law. When networks go down during an emergency, those safety systems become useless.
- Remote Learning – Here's a stat that’s mind-boggling: 53% of U.S. students are taking at least one online course. That means when connectivity fails, you're not just disrupting one classroom – you're potentially affecting more than half your student body.
- Digital Equity – Rural and underserved schools already face huge connectivity challenges. When outages hit, it just makes these gaps even worse.
- Campus Operations – Modern schools run on connected systems. Security cameras, bus tracking, attendance systems, cafeteria payments – when the network goes down, everything stops working.
- State Compliance – Beyond safety, schools need connectivity for testing, reporting, and student information systems. No connection often means no compliance.
The ecosystem approach: Graybar's comprehensive solution
Eric brought a unique perspective to the presentation, demonstrating how Graybar has been instrumental in bringing together various vendors to create a comprehensive ecosystem that can deliver on the diverse needs of schools. "We understand that schools don't just need one solution – they need an integrated approach that addresses everything from basic connectivity to emergency response," Eric explained.
One of the highlights that surprised many attendees was seeing how the Connectivity on Wheels (COW) can help ensure reliable connectivity from anywhere on campus. "People didn't expect to see mobile connectivity solutions that could literally drive reliable internet to any location where it's needed most," Jason Eyre noted.
Graybar's national market manager of wireless solutions, Eric, drove this home: "When networks fail, schools can't communicate with parents during emergencies, students lose access to essential coursework, and administrators can't meet basic state requirements. The old approach of having one internet connection with a backup that takes 5-10 seconds to kick in just doesn't cut it anymore."
Our solution: Dejero Smart Blending Technology™
This is where we got really excited to share what makes Dejero different. Instead of accepting that networks will fail and hoping backups work quickly enough, there’s an easy solution, Smart Blending Technology. It’s a completely different approach that bonds multiple network connections into one super-reliable virtual network.
Think of it this way: instead of having one main internet connection and a backup that switches on when the main one fails, our award-winning technology combines all available connections – LTE, 5G, satellite, fiber, whatever you've got – simultaneously. It's like having multiple lanes of traffic instead of one road with an alternate route.
Jason added some great context: "This technology has been deployed in mission-critical environments where failure isn't an option. Super Bowl security operations, California's 9-1-1 emergency services – if it's reliable enough for life-and-death situations, it's definitely robust enough for schools."
Real-world proof points
We shared some pretty impressive examples of where our technology is already making a difference:
California Emergency Services (Cal OES) – They were dealing with 36,000 minutes of 9-1-1 downtime every month. Every month! After implementing our solution, they reduced that to zero. As former Cal OES 9-1-1 Communications Manager Budge Currier explained: "Every month somewhere in California for 10-20,000 minutes, 9-1-1 is not available. That's simply unacceptable in today's environment."
The Ultimate Football Game – We've been the connectivity backbone for state, local and federal law enforcement agencies for the largest football game on United States soil for four years running and counting. When you've got more than 70,000 fans in one place and national security on the line, your connection absolutely cannot fail.
High-Stakes Events – We maintained flawless connectivity during Copa America with 70,000 fans and the U.S. Presidential Debate on the same day. Talk about pressure.
Cutting-Edge Broadcasting – We even helped deliver the world's first human hologram over 5G during a live concert. As Ian O'Connell from Musion said, "The key to success has been Dejero's extensive experience in live broadcasting amidst challenging conditions."
Kevin shared insights about Dejero's experience across various sectors, from broadcast environments to 911 call centers. "Whether we're supporting live television broadcasts, emergency services, or educational institutions, the common thread is that resilient connectivity isn't just important – it's absolutely key to mission success."
Why schools should care
We wrapped up by outlining four key reasons why educational institutions should seriously consider Smart Blending Technology:
- Unmatched Reliability – We deliver 99.9% uptime with zero single points of failure and automatic redundancy that works in any weather.
- Built for Education – We offer bandwidth allocation tools, remote management for multi-campus districts, and solutions that scale from single schools to entire state networks.
- Proven Track Record – First responders trust us, broadcasters rely on us, and corporations deploy us in their most demanding environments.
- Future-Ready – Our solution is 5G-ready, software-defined with continuous updates, and works with any network provider. You're not locked into one vendor's ecosystem.
The numbers tell the story: the global EdTech market is heading toward $549.6 billion by 2033, and EdTech usage in K-12 schools has increased 99% since 2020. Schools are more dependent on technology than ever before, with the average U.S. school district accessing 1,403 different EdTech solutions each month.
Our takeaway from UEN Tech Summit
Standing in front of those Utah educators and IT professionals, we saw people who genuinely care about their students and are trying to do the best they can with the resources they have. They're dealing with tighter budgets, higher expectations, and technology that's becoming more critical every day.
Kevin summed it up perfectly in his closing remarks: "When your students' safety depends on connectivity, when your teachers need reliable technology, when your administrators have to meet compliance requirements, and when your community expects you to be prepared for emergencies – that's when you realize there's really only one solution that delivers truly uninterrupted connectivity."
If you missed our presentation but want to learn more about how Dejero can help your school district eliminate single points of failure and achieve the kind of connectivity reliability that your students and staff deserve, we'd love to hear from you.
Visit us at dejero.com to learn more.
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