Campus networks: Wi-Fi and switching

On this page

At a glance

• For colleges in England the DfE asks for at least Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), WPA3 or certificate-based authentication and segregated guest access — a 2030 target.
• Switching: at least 1Gbps to desktops and at least 2×10Gbps hub-room uplinks, supported for at least 5 years.
• There is no government campus Wi-Fi standard for universities.
• Network equipment and services can be bought through Jisc’s network solutions framework, included in FE and HE membership.

Wi-Fi: the DfE wireless standard (colleges in England)

The DfE wireless network core standard (guidance, target 2030) asks schools and colleges for:

• at least Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be);
• coverage throughout buildings, and outside where needed;
• central management of the wireless network;
• WPA3 or certificate-based authentication;
• segregated guest access.

The standard gives no per-device bandwidth figure.

Switching: the DfE switching standard

The network switching core standard (also guidance, target 2030) asks for:

• at least 1Gbps to user desktop devices, and multi-gigabit ports for servers, media devices and wireless access points;
• hub-room switches linked to the core with at least 2×10Gbps, on different routes where possible;
• warranty and support, including firmware updates, for at least 5 years — and replacing equipment that no longer gets firmware and security updates;
• core switches on at least one UPS; critical core switches with at least two power supplies, two management modules and two connections to other critical infrastructure.

Universities

We found no government campus Wi-Fi or bandwidth standard for higher education. Two things do apply:

• if you offer eduroam, it has its own technical standards, set out in Jisc’s eduroam connection guide (linked from Jisc’s eduroam page) — see eduroam and govroam;
• the DfE standards can still be a useful reference point, even though they don’t name universities.

Buying network kit and services

Jisc’s network solutions framework covers wired and Wi-Fi network equipment and services, including:

• firewalls;
• everything from low-end customer equipment to “high-end carrier-class type equipment supporting up to 100 Gigabit Ethernet and above”;
• access points and transceivers;
• cabling and installation;
• professional and managed services.

It launched on 1 June 2025 and is included in FE and HE membership. Jisc says there is “no need to use a full procurement process”. We couldn’t see its lots or end date. More options are in buying through frameworks, and suppliers who say they do this work are in our supplier directory.

Where to go next

• Resilience and backup lines
• Replacing old network kit

Sources

Checked 25 October 2026. We wrote this guide from these sources, in our own words:

1. DfE: Wireless network core standard (gov.uk)
2. DfE: Network switching core standard (gov.uk)
3. Jisc: Network solutions framework (jisc.ac.uk)
4. Jisc: eduroam (jisc.ac.uk)

Broadband for Education is an independent guide. It is not a broker or a supplier, and it is not owned by, or connected to, Jisc, any network provider, framework or government body. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.