Georgetown University Selects Cisco to Transform Campus Connectivity

Cisco to Support the University in Launching One of the Largest Wi-Fi 7 Initiatives in Higher Education

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced a multi-year partnership with Georgetown University to modernize the campus network, delivering advanced connectivity and new digital experiences powered by Cisco's latest networking technologies. The collaboration features a significant rollout of Wi-Fi 7 across the university's classrooms, dorms, stadiums and beyond, positioning Georgetown at the forefront of wireless innovation in higher education as a pioneer of one of the largest-ever deployments of Wi-Fi 7 at a university.

With the rapid growth of connected devices and the increasing demands of digital learning, research, and campus life, Georgetown is investing in a future-ready network to support its academic mission and campus community. By deploying Cisco's Wi-Fi 7 technology across all wireless spectrums including the 6 GHz band, the university will unlock faster speeds and lower latency for information retrieval in real-time. This ensures students can connect seamlessly from day one, while faculty and staff instantly benefit from faster, more reliable tools to support teaching, learning, and campus operations. For researchers working with massive datasets and projects involving AI, the high-speed, low-latency network means data can be shared, analyzed, and stored securely from anywhere on campus, enabling groundbreaking discoveries without delay.

"Our community's academic and research ambitions require a network that is as innovative and forward-looking as they are," said Doug Little, Chief Information Officer at Georgetown University. "This investment ensures our students, faculty, and staff have the seamless, secure connectivity they need to excel in a rapidly evolving digital landscape."

Cisco's solutions are purpose-built for high-density environments like Georgetown's Hilltop and Capitol campuses. The university-wide deployment includes the latest Cisco enterprise switching and wireless solutions that provide automation and advanced analytics for real-time insights into network performance and usage patterns. This end-to-end infrastructure enables simplified operations, proactive optimization, and a seamless digital experience for every user.

Beyond next-generation Wi-Fi, Georgetown is taking a comprehensive approach to campus connectivity with Cisco. By unifying access layer management, the university is streamlining all building connectivity while leveraging full manageability of Cisco's unified infrastructure. Security remains a primary focus of this transformation. Georgetown's IT teams are employing a multi-layered security framework, powered by Cisco's comprehensive portfolio, that includes multi-factor authentication, end-to-end network visibility, and advanced security operations analytics to protect the campus community and its digital assets.

"In higher education, 'fast' is the past—'instant' is the future. With one of the largest Wi-Fi 7 deployments in higher education, Georgetown and Cisco are redefining campus connectivity with faster speeds and lower latency for unmatched digital engagement," said Gary DePreta, Senior Vice President of U.S. Public Sector at Cisco. "Together, we're building an AI-ready foundation to lead and transform educational experiences."

As part of the broader partnership, Cisco will also serve as the presenting partner of the "Hoya Forward" platform, which will run during January of each year, feature events such as Hoya Hackathon, and be centered on the themes of new beginnings, innovation, and preparing students for the future through technology.

This new collaboration with Georgetown comes on the heels of Cisco's recent partnership with Monumental Sports and Entertainment (MSE), which owns Capital One Arena – the high-tech venue that is currently undergoing an $800 million+ transformation and serves as the home arena for Georgetown University's famed men's basketball program. Capital One Arena is powered by a host of solutions across Cisco's industry-leading portfolio, including Cisco Wi-Fi 7 solutions with Cisco Spaces, Cisco IP Fabric for Media, Cisco ThousandEyes, Wipro VisionEDGE, and more.

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SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc.