Case Study: Lincoln University achieves campus-wide reliable Wi‑Fi and a 30% reduction in operating costs with Extreme Networks

Lincoln University Takes Campus Wi-Fi to the Extreme

Lincoln University, the nation’s first historically Black degree‑granting college, needed to modernize campus connectivity to support 2,700 users across 46 buildings and a 422‑acre campus—especially for remote and synchronous learning during COVID‑19. The school faced an aging, high‑maintenance wireless infrastructure with poor coverage and inconsistent performance, and its small IT team required a centralized, remotely accessible management solution. Lincoln turned to Extreme Networks, deploying ExtremeCloud IQ and Wi‑Fi 6 access points (ExtremeWireless) to address these challenges.

Extreme Networks implemented ExtremeCloud IQ with Wi‑Fi 6 access points across campus, simplifying deployment and management and giving the IT team single‑pane visibility into devices, users, traffic and security. The upgrade delivered measurable benefits: 25% fewer access points provided better coverage in high‑use areas, the campus has recorded zero Wi‑Fi downtime, operating costs fell by more than 30%, and students enjoy a markedly more stable video and remote‑learning experience—while Extreme Networks’ solution also improved security and ongoing maintainability.

Lincoln University

Justin McKenzie

CIO