TWS Broadband Outage: Soltech IT Helping Bristol Schools Get Back Online Safely

Bristol schools affected by the Trading with Schools (TWS) broadband outage are facing significant disruption to their day-to-day operations. Soltech IT is helping schools get back online with secure, filtered 5G connectivity while longer-term arrangements are put in place.

The ongoing Trading with Schools (TWS) network disruption has left a significant number of Bristol schools without their normal internet connectivity, with reports indicating that around 80 schools have been affected.

Bristol City Council has confirmed that it is investigating a potential security incident affecting its network for educational settings. Internet access was suspended as a precautionary measure, with TWS advising schools that operating without the internet was the safest option while the incident was investigated.

For schools that rely heavily on cloud-based systems, online safeguarding, communications, administration and teaching resources, losing internet connectivity is far more than an inconvenience. It can have a direct impact on the ability of staff to operate normally and pupils to access digital learning.

The problem with relying on a single internet connection

The current situation highlights something that schools should already be considering as part of their digital resilience strategy: what happens if your main internet connection goes down?

The Department for Education's digital and technology standards specifically state that schools and colleges should have a backup broadband connection to ensure resilience and maintain continuity of service.

The DfE recommends that resilient services are implemented alongside, or as soon as possible after, a new connection is installed. It also recommends using different connection types, with appropriate router configuration to allow automatic failover.

In other words, a school shouldn't have to wait for its primary broadband provider to resolve a major incident before it can get back online.

However, schools that have contacted Soltech IT during the current TWS disruption have told us that they did not have an independent secondary internet connection available to them.

That has left schools looking for an emergency solution.

Soltech IT is helping schools get back online

Soltech IT has been working with affected schools to deploy off-grid 5G internet solutions, providing an alternative route to the internet that is independent of the affected TWS infrastructure.

Rather than simply supplying a consumer 5G router and asking a school to connect devices to it, our approach is to build a properly controlled temporary network.

Depending on the school's requirements, this can include:

• Commercial-grade 5G connectivity with unlimited data SIMs
• 5G modems and external antennas positioned for the strongest available mobile signal
• Dedicated education-grade firewalls
• Separate network segments for different groups of users and devices
• Secure Wi-Fi access points
• Network-level educational content filtering, with reporting and monitoring
• Appropriate firewall and security controls
• Independent connectivity away from the affected TWS network
• Support for multiple school buildings or campus locations
• Rapid deployment by experienced school IT engineers

For larger schools, a 5G modem can be positioned where the mobile signal is strongest, while the firewall and Wi-Fi equipment can be positioned elsewhere. This provides considerably more flexibility than relying on an all-in-one 5G router.

5G connectivity must still be properly filtered

One of the important lessons from the current outage is that getting a school back online is only part of the solution.

Bristol City Council and TWS have specifically warned schools that tethering or using alternative internet connections can introduce additional risks because normal filtering and monitoring systems may be bypassed.

The DfE's filtering and monitoring standard makes clear that schools have a statutory responsibility to provide appropriate filtering and monitoring to help keep children safe online.

This means that simply buying a 5G router, inserting a SIM card and connecting a laptop is not necessarily an appropriate solution for a school.

The emergency connection needs to be treated as part of the school's IT network, not as a household mobile hotspot.

At Soltech IT, we can build the 5G connection behind appropriate firewall, network and filtering controls so that schools can regain internet access while maintaining their safeguarding responsibilities.

What about Cloudflare and DNS filtering?

Some emergency 5G solutions may suggest using free DNS services such as Cloudflare's family DNS.

While this can provide a basic level of content filtering, schools should not assume that simply changing DNS provides everything required for a compliant education environment.

A school needs to consider its complete filtering and monitoring requirements, including safeguarding, reporting, policy enforcement and the ability to demonstrate that appropriate controls are in place.

Where appropriate, Soltech IT can deploy a dedicated education filtering solution, configured so that traffic cannot simply bypass the filtering by changing DNS settings.

This provides a much more robust approach than simply connecting school devices directly to an unmanaged 5G router.

Some schools are also being asked to wipe devices

Another issue being raised by schools affected by the TWS disruption is the requirement to remediate school devices.

Schools that have been in contact with Soltech IT have advised us that they have been specifically asked to wipe school devices as part of the response.

For schools with dozens of classroom and teacher devices, this can become a significant operational challenge.

Soltech IT can assist with this process, including:

• Wiping and re-imaging Windows desktops and laptops
• Installing a clean operating system
• Preparing devices for the school's new temporary network
• Installing required software
• Configuring Wi-Fi connectivity
• Deploying appropriate security settings
• Checking filtering and internet access
• Reconnecting printers and essential peripherals
• Getting staff devices operational again as quickly as possible

Importantly, we would always establish what data, applications and configuration need to be retained before a device is wiped. A device should not simply be erased without first establishing whether local files, applications or other information need to be recovered. Likewise, data should be thoroughly security scanned before being rstored.

Don't wait for another outage to expose the problem

The TWS incident is an important reminder for every school and Multi-Academy Trust.

A primary broadband connection is not enough.

The DfE's current broadband standard specifically calls for schools to have a backup connection and appropriate resilience. The guidance gives examples such as combining different types of broadband connection and configuring automatic failover.

A properly designed backup could be FTTP, a second leased line, 5G, low-earth-orbit satellite or another suitable connection, depending on the school's location and requirements.

The important point is that the backup needs to be independent of the primary service.

Having a second connection that ultimately relies on the same infrastructure, equipment or provider may not provide the resilience a school thinks it has.

Soltech IT's emergency support for Bristol schools

We appreciate that schools are under considerable pressure at the moment. The priority is getting staff and pupils back online safely and keeping schools operational.

Soltech IT can help affected schools with more than just emergency connectivity.

We can provide:

Emergency 5G connectivity

Rapid deployment of secure, filtered 5G internet connections to help schools operate while their primary service is unavailable.

IT support

Our education IT support team can provide helpdesk and onsite engineering support to schools that need additional technical resource during the disruption.

Device remediation

We can assist with wiping, re-imaging, configuring and reconnecting school desktops and laptops where required.

Bursar services

Our education bursar service can provide additional financial and procurement support, helping schools review costs, identify savings and manage technology expenditure.

Free curriculum loan boxes

Where schools need temporary access to equipment, our curriculum loan boxes can provide technology that can be deployed quickly to support teaching and learning.

Long-term resilience planning

Once the immediate crisis is resolved, we can review the school's existing broadband infrastructure and help design a proper resilient solution, including automatic failover and independently routed connectivity.

If your school is affected by the TWS outage

If your school is currently without internet access, or you are concerned about how long your current arrangements will remain unavailable, Soltech IT can help you assess your options quickly.

We can look at your buildings, mobile coverage, existing network infrastructure, filtering requirements and number of users, then recommend the most appropriate temporary or permanent solution.

The objective isn't simply to get a 5G signal into the school.

It's to get the school safely and securely back online.

If your school is affected by the TWS outage and you need emergency connectivity, device remediation or additional IT support, contact Soltech IT today.

Cyber attack / malicious software