IT services expanding campus wireless access

Because of student, staff and faculty demand, USU’s Information Technology (IT) is working to provide campus-wide wireless data service coverage.

The coverage is expected to be fully implemented in main campus buildings by the end of this semester. Student housing will have the service by the beginning of the 2007 fall semester.

“Our goal is to ensure service. We want secure, scalable, future-ready wireless data service that is accessible everywhere at Utah State University,” said Eric Hawley, associate vice president for IT. “We want USU to have the best wireless coverage in the region and make sure that it is available to all students, staff, faculty and guests.”

At this time, there are buildings and outdoor locations on campus where wireless Internet is not available.

Marty Emrick, physical infrastructure team coordinator, said there are currently 161 access points throughout USU’s main campus, providing wireless service in approximately 50 buildings. With the addition of the new service, Emrick said there will be 400 access points on USU’s main and north campus. Student housing buildings will have 300 wireless access points.

“One of our huge goals is to provide student housing with the same level of service that other wireless users have throughout campus,” Emrick said. “We want to cover all the insides and outsides of buildings by the end of the year.”

IT is also working to provide wireless Internet to Distance Education campuses around the state of Utah.

In the past few months, Hawley said teams of IT staff members have been surveying locations on campus and developing plans for distribution and implementation. They are also leveraging USU’s fiber and cabling infrastructure to accommodate the needs of those at USU, he said.

“Implementation will occur in a phased approach with portions of on-campus student housing and buildings in the main Logan campus coming online piece by piece through Spring Semester and extending to the Innovation Campus and Research Foundation over the summer and fall,” Hawley said. “Our hope is that everything will be in place before 2007 is out.”

In the spring of 2006, Hawley said IT conducted a survey of 200 students, 100 faculty and 100 staff members. The majority of those polled said wireless coverage was inefficient, causing IT to seriously evaluate the service in place.

Hawley said the fast-paced and ever-changing world of technology was also key in deciding to update the system.

“Wireless, voice, data and video are converging, and utilization of wireless systems in both number of people and bandwidth requirements are on the rise,” Hawley said. “We must have an infrastructure prepared to support it.”

Emrick said the implementation of this service will cost around $1.5 million.

The project planning and implementation will be supported by housing departments and USU facilities, he said.

Hawley said, “Information Technology believes that wireless data is a core service used by the entire enterprise – auxiliaries, colleges, departments, students, faculty and staff. As such, IT is funding the initial phases as part of the over-IT enterprise business plan and in partnership with other university units.”

USU has had wireless technologies for many years, Hawley said. The desire to make the university “100 percent wireless,” however, began this year with the direction of IT Vice President M. K. Jeppesen.

Aside from increasing and simplifying Internet availability, this will also be a great advancement for USU, Hawley said.

He said, “One hallmark of a great institution is a high level of accessible and applicable technology. One hundred percent wireless coverage represents a doorway to the holy grail of electronic accessibility: services available everywhere, anytime.”

Emrick agreed, saying, “We want to be the leading edge for information technology in the state of Utah and higher education.”

IT is also making greater efforts to attend to their customers, Emrick said. In the past, he said they have not been actively involved with their clients, listening to their desires and satisfying their needs.

“We are trying to involve the entire campus in the decision making and benefits of the service,” Emrick said. “We want to stay closer to their desires and stay on top of what our customers want, which are the faculty, staff, students and campus visitors.”

-ariek@cc.usu.edu