Empowering Education through Digital Transformation

Client Overview

Catholic Network Australia (CNA) is a not-for-profit entity that supports Australian Catholic schools through collaboration and shared expertise. It was established to advance and promote the religious, educational and general charitable purposes of the Church and its entities. It has since evolved to focus exclusively on education, and to share resources and expertise across its Participants. Today, 26 of Australia’s 28 Archdiocese/Diocese are CNA Participants. This sees CNA serve over 1,500 Catholic schools and almost 800,000 students, teachers, and staff.

Digital literacy is a key area for CNA. Guided directly by Teaching and Learning experts from within Participants, CNA has a strong focus on flexibility, choice, and equitable access for all, regardless of size or location. One initiative CNA undertakes is to provide procurement support to Participants relating to telecommunication and associated managed services.

In partnership with Orro and CNA, three major Participants – Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA), Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE), and the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) – undertook a comprehensive network transformation project to deliver high-speed, reliable and secure connectivity that supports digital learning and administrative efficiency. This initiative impacted 850 schools and offices, laying the foundation for future educational innovation for more than 270,000 students.

Problem: Bridging the Digital Divide for Equitable Learning

The digital era has brought about transformative changes in education, but for many Catholic schools, particularly those in rural and regional areas, access to high-speed internet and modern digital learning tools was inconsistent and often insufficient. CEWA, BCE, and VCEA faced several key challenges:

• Limited Bandwidth and Connectivity: Existing MPLS WAN networks were inadequate to support the increasing demand for cloud-based learning platforms, multimedia resources, and real-time collaboration tools.
• Lack of Resilience: Schools in regional and remote areas were particularly vulnerable to network disruptions, leading to inconsistent access to critical learning resources.
• High Costs and Inefficiency: Legacy networks were costly to maintain and did not offer the scalability required for future growth, making it difficult to adapt to evolving educational needs.
• Equity of Access: A central goal was to ensure that all students, regardless of their geographic location, had equal access to high-quality educational resources, which was not achievable under the existing infrastructure.

The Participants needed a scalable, secure, and cost-effective network solution that could provide equitable access to digital learning resources across all schools, enabling students in even the most remote locations to benefit from the same opportunities as their urban counterparts.

Solution: A Secure, Resilient and Scalable SD-WAN Network

To address these challenges, Orro deployed a contemporary SD-WAN solution utilising Fortinet’s industry-leading technology, specifically tailored to the diverse needs of CEWA, BCE, and VCEA. Key elements of the solution included:

• High-Speed Dual Fibre Connectivity: Each site was equipped with dual fibre data links. CEWA and BCE invested in dual NBN fibre connectivity (Enterprise Ethernet and Fibre to the Premise) resulting in an active-active, load-balanced solution.
• SD-WAN Solution: Orro utilised Fortinet’s Secure SD-WAN technology to design, pilot and implement a robust solution.
• Application Prioritisation: Orro’s solution intelligently prioritises essential applications such as Microsoft Teams over less critical traffic.
• Integrated Security: The solution included local internet breakout, distributed firewalls, intrusion prevention, and web filtering.
• End-to-End Visibility: The solution enables complete visibility into network traffic across all schools, allowing for real-time monitoring.
• Scalability and Flexibility: The network was designed to double bandwidth capacity during the contract term if needed.
• Centralised Management and 24/7 Support: Orro’s proprietary network management platform integrates with Fortinet’s technology.

“Orro has been a key strategic technology partner, providing our 153 schools with access to an education-tailored network capable of scaling up as needed to accommodate future demands. Our network architecture offers high performance, robust security and stability, along with streamlined management and cost efficiency.”
— Mike Kovacevic – Chief Information Officer and Chief of Business Development

“Orro has been instrumental in delivering a robust, scalable network that supports future learning environments across our schools. This transformation ensures equitable connectivity for all our students, regardless of location.”
— Leigh Williams, CIO, Brisbane Catholic Education

Outcome: Transforming Education Through Equitable Access

The network transformation delivered significant benefits across all three Participants:

• Enhanced Performance and User Experience: Bandwidth increased by over 400% on average.
• Equitable Access for All Students: Delivering high-quality educational resources regardless of location.
• Cost Efficiency and Sustainability: Reduced operational costs by an average of 30%.
• Improved Security and Learning Environment: Safer digital environment protecting students and staff from cyber threats.

“The new network has drastically reduced incidents and improved our ability to manage connectivity across multiple sites. The ability to prioritise critical applications like Teams has made a noticeable difference in classroom engagement.”
— Aaron Delaney, Manager – Digital Platforms, Brisbane Catholic Education

Conclusion: Building a Future-Ready Education Network

Orro’s partnership with CNA and the Participants of CEWA, BCE, and VCEA has fundamentally transformed the digital landscape for Catholic education in Australia. By addressing the unique challenges of each Participant and providing a future-ready network solution, Orro has empowered these schools to deliver enhanced educational outcomes. This transformation not only supports current needs but also ensures scalability and resilience for future demands, positioning CNA and its member schools at the forefront of digital learning innovation.

Strategic Impacts: Empowering Education Through Digital Transformation

This initiative represents a benchmark in Empowering Education Through Digital Transformation. By delivering carrier-grade connectivity to regional and remote areas, Orro and CNA have removed the technical barriers to equitable learning. As we continue Empowering Education Through Digital Transformation, our focus remains on providing schools with the secure, high-performance infrastructure required to thrive in a digital-first world.