News

Rikei Corporation (Rikei) is pleased to announce its participation in the Okinawa City Board of Education’s educational ICT enhancement program under Phase 2 of the GIGA School Initiative (NEXT GIGA). Under this project, Rikei deployed 1,100 wireless access points, 200 network switches, and a wireless network management system from Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE) across all 24 public elementary and junior high schools in Okinawa City.

Project Overview

Upgrading Network Infrastructure at All 24 Public Schools in Okinawa City

As part of the GIGA School Initiative*, the Okinawa City Board of Education has equipped every student with a personal learning device to advance ICT-enabled education. However, increased device usage began to cause network performance issues, affecting the learning experience.

To address these challenges, Rikei joined the Okinawa City Board of Education’s network infrastructure upgrade project under Phase 2 of the GIGA School Initiative (NEXT GIGA). The company deployed ALE Wi-Fi 7 access points, high-speed network switches supporting speeds of up to 10 Gbps, and a wireless network management system across all 24 public elementary and junior high schools in Okinawa City. The upgraded infrastructure now supports a more stable and reliable network environment for tablet-based learning.

Start of Operations
Late March 2026

*GIGA School Initiative: An initiative led by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to provide every student with a learning device and strengthen ICT infrastructure in schools to support high-quality learning

Key Benefits of the Solution

Centralized network management with reliable connectivity during peak usage and across schools.

High-Speed Network with Centralized Management
Network management, previously handled separately by each school, is now centralized at the data center. A high-speed 40 Gbps connection (20 Gbps upstream and 20 Gbps downstream) between the data center and the city’s elementary and junior high schools provides the capacity needed to support large-scale simultaneous access, including training sessions with around 100 participants.

Seamless Connectivity Across Schools
Students, teachers, and staff can use the same wireless network environment at any public elementary or junior high school in Okinawa City. When visiting another school for meetings, training sessions, or other purposes, they can connect their devices to the wireless network without changing any device settings.

Customer Comments

Kenichi Kaneko
Vice Principal, Moromi Elementary School, Okinawa City
Yuko Shima
Assistant Director, Education Support Center, Instructional Division, Okinawa City Board of Education

“The new network has greatly improved connectivity, especially during periods of heavy usage at the beginning of the school year. With a more reliable network environment, we can make greater use of digital technologies in both classroom instruction and school administration.
As we expand the use of generative AI in the classroom and introduce a next-generation school administration support system, the enhanced wireless network will provide the reliable foundation needed to support these new initiatives.”

Overview of the ALE Wireless LAN Solution

Cost-Effective and Easy to Manage

The ALE wireless LAN solution features a unified management platform that enables administrators to monitor and manage the entire network from a single interface. By bringing network monitoring, user authentication, and other management functions together in one platform, it streamlines day-to-day operations and simplifies network administration.
The solution includes a broad range of access points and controllers for both on-premises and cloud deployments, providing the flexibility to build an integrated IP network that combines wired and wireless connectivity.

Future Outlook

Rikei will continue to expand the deployment of ALE networking solutions not only for GIGA School Initiative projects, but also across the broader education sector and commercial enterprises.

About Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise is a leading provider of networking, communications, and cloud solutions. Its innovative technologies and products continue to earn recognition from customers, industry analysts, and organizations worldwide.

About Rikei Corporation

Since its establishment in 1957 as a solution vendor in the IT and electronics industries, Rikei Corporation has provided a variety of solutions ranging from systems to networks, VR/AR contents, electronic materials and electronic devices.

Rikei proposes solutions that utilize cutting-edge technologies and advanced products from Japan and overseas, and contributes to business development such as improving efficiency of operations and profits of customers.

*Product and company names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.