The Jefferson City Public Schools is taking bids for an Internet service provider contract, which will include the potential to expand the Internet capability.
Each school is currently working with 1 gigabyte of Internet service, said Rob Benefield, technology and information systems engineer for the district. The average household has 20 megabits per second of Internet capability, and it takes 1,000 megabites per second to make up 1 gigabit per second.
The current five-year contract with Mediacom expires in June 2016. The new contract, which is currently open to bidders, includes language to expand the bandwidth up to 10 gigabits per second, Benefield said.
Joe Martin, director of technology with the district, said it's doubtful any of the schools will expand to 10 gigabits per second next year, but this way the district has room for growth.
The current Internet ability is enough for the elementary schools right now, but at the secondary level the Internet pipeline gets jammed during testing periods and with the expanded use of technology.
The Internet service at the high school is being utilized at a capacity like never before, he said.
Each incoming high school freshman class gets their own iPad. The Internet system is already being used at 90 percent and, as the years go on, every student will have their own device.
The new contract and infrastructure will support the growth and direction the district is heading, he said.
On the middle school level, having every student using a computer to take state tests has slowed the Internet speed, which was problematic last year during the timed exams, Benefield said.
Benefield said the high school will be one of the schools to receive more bandwidth, and the district will decide which schools also needed more internet capability.
A mandatory pre-bidding is taking place at 10 a.m. today at the district's Dix Road Education Center, and the bids are due by 10 a.m. Dec. 17.
The potential bidders must also have the ability to build the infrastructure needed to support the higher gigabyte use, he said.
The new contract begins July 2016.