Throughout the next six to eight months, campus-wide wireless internet technology, Wi-Fi, will be improved. With the addition of new and adjusted access points, students will soon be able to notice better coverage, especially while inside buildings on campus.
“There has been a project going on to fix the areas that we know that have only decent or spotty coverage,” Interim Senior Director of Enterprise Technology Services Kent McKelvey said. “We are trying to have a design that includes denser coverage.”
The primary goal is to add access points in the buildings, McKelvey said. After this is completed, other areas, such as the spaces between buildings, will be worked on.
All work is being completed by internal contractors associated with the university. The duration of the project will be spent relocating outlets already in place.
Funding to improve wireless internet access comes from the President’s Budget Advisory Committee in response to feedback given.
McKelvey said the funding allows the deployment of more access points and the equipment needed to maintain them.
“Overall, from a coverage standpoint, it has become a necessity that students, staff, faculty and guests need and expect quality wireless coverage,” McKelvey said. “Our goal is to fill pockets and dead spots that we have assessed.”
The current project is expected to be complete during the summer, in time for the fall 2015 semester. Upon completion, the improving to the outdoor walkways will begin.
“For the most part, the Wi-Fi is okay, but sometimes it’s extremely slow or it just doesn’t connect,” Speech, language, and hearing sciences first year Liliana Michel said. “Sometimes it just randomly disconnects, which is pretty annoying.”
Although she hasn’t experienced any issues with the Wi-Fi interfering with her schoolwork, Michel said she’s known of people who were completing a quiz online and it submitted without being completed because the Wi-Fi shut off.
Liberal studies freshman Anastasia Kapetanios said she experienced a similar situation when she was creating a PowerPoint and the Wi-Fi stopped working. She said the Wi-Fi should be capable of handling the high demand of students, especially during high usage times.
