Case Study: Flintshire County Council achieves a robust, scalable Wi‑Fi network across 78 schools with HPE Aruba Networking

Council accelerates digital schools programme with robust network

Flintshire County Council, the largest local authority in North Wales supporting 78 schools and about 23,500 students, needed a scalable, high‑availability network to underpin its Digital Schools programme. Schools varied in size, location and infrastructure, so the council required a centrally managed, secure solution that delivered full Wi‑Fi coverage, faster deployments and simplified access for students, staff and guests.

Flintshire deployed an Aruba end‑to‑end platform—more than 1,500 Wi‑Fi 6 access points, 600+ switches, Aruba AirWave, ClearPass and mobility controllers—rolled out across all schools within six months. The centrally managed, policy‑driven network provides resilient LAN and seamless Govroam access, speeds onboarding to seconds, enabled rapid adoption of blended and remote learning, and saved £500,000 versus an alternative vendor, funds that were redirected to devices and teaching resources.

Flintshire County Council

Aled Griffith

IT Infrastructure Services Manager