Computing and Information Services has halted the expansion of wireless Internet access on campus due to budget overruns. CIS, along with the Undergraduate Council of Students and the Division of Campus Life and Student Services, will now assess the project to determine the best way to complete it.
CIS originally earmarked half of its wireless Internet budget of $740,000 to adding hotspots in residence halls, but 60 percent of the total funds had been spent on the dorms by the time administrators halted the project last week - with several residence halls still lacking wireless access.
"We're not expecting to receive more funds," said Alan Usas, assistant vice president for academic and network systems and services for CIS. "We've been meeting with various groups and people to ensure that we utilize the current budget more efficiently. The key word is 'prioritizing.'"
Usas said the main focus of the project was to install wireless services in dorms, but administrators also wanted to improve the service in other areas on campus. "After the dorms, we'll still have capacity for installing wireless in classrooms, lobbies, greens, conference rooms and more," he said. "But our goal is to broaden coverage, not blanket the campus with it."
CIS had made its original budget estimates based on the area of the building and other factors, but administrators later realized that more factors needed to be taken into consideration. Certain buildings, by virtue of construction or age, needed more than one access point, for example. "This required that we spend more," Usas said.
"The good news is that usage of wireless in dorms has been very high, which is exactly what we expected," Usas said.
Russell Carey '91 MA'06, interim vice president for campus life and student services, said he does not think temporarily halting the project is cause for concern. "I don't think this is at all unusual for a project of this size and complexity," he said. "We're all committed to the project and want to proceed in a responsible way."
Usas said he hopes the project will start up again by the end of February. "We'll be working closely with users to understand their priorities so as to yield a favorable result for the campus community," he said. "Hopefully the extra money we put into certain areas will pay back."
The wireless project began in Spring 2003, when CIS installed 12 hotspots around campus. By Fall 2005, the number of hotspots had reached 60. That semester, CIS responded to the popularity of wireless Internet access by requesting funding from the University Resources Committee to broadly expand wireless coverage.
"We wanted more overall usage," Usas said. "People are more likely to carry around their laptops if they know they can access the Internet."
CIS worked throughout last summer to further expand wireless coverage on campus. By the end of last semester, areas with wireless access included most residence halls, dining facilities, libraries, study lounges, many academic buildings and Faunce House.
Students have responded favorably to the addition of wireless on campus. "I'm glad they are finally installing wireless in all the dorms," said Ysabel Gaspar '07. "I've lived in dorms without wireless for the past three years, and it would've been better if they all had wireless coverage."
"It's convenient to have wireless in the dorms," said Liz Giliberti '10.
"I didn't buy an Ethernet wire for a while because of it," said Karen Kovalevich '10. "I kind of assumed there would be wireless on campus," she said. "It makes life easier because I can work on my bed without messing with the cables."
Gaspar said she would like to see wireless access everywhere on campus. "There is patchy connection on some parts of the campus and you can't just sit down anywhere and start doing work," she said.
