Information and Technology Services faced the challenge of bringing the internet to a new living area before school started this semester. Everything did not go according to plan.
The first two weeks of the semester were a major problem in the Colony. A solution to the problem was found and, after many delays, a new system was set to be installed.
“Shipping delays of three weeks and financial approval from administration slowed the project down and some normal installation difficulties pushed the date when the system was to come online later and later,” David Marley, assistant director of infrastructure, said.
The diagnostics and delayed communications with the installation company of the new mesh technology came to the point where ITS “pulled the trigger and said enough is enough,” Marley said.
In the end, ITS ordered and had installed 76 new wireless modems from the company Charter.
The new modems are not a permanent solution.
Sometime during this semester, residents of the Colony will be asked to switch over to the CBU network for a day so ITS can load the new mesh technology and test it.
“I do not know how quick I will be taking away the modems. They will not be removed until we are confident we can have stable, reliable internet,” Marley said.
The 76 modems are satisfying the current need for internet access, but long term, they are expensive, unlike the CBU network. It costs approximately 30 dollars a month per unit installed, said Marley. That equals $2,280 a month and $27,360 a year to have internet in the Colony, under the current circumstances.
Since the new modems were installed, students are not having as many problems with the internet.
“Now the internet is much, much better. Before, I had to wake up really early so no one was on the internet so I could send in my homework, because you could not do it at ten at night,” Tabitha Leonard, Colony resident, said. “Thirty minutes to load Blackboard one night now takes ten seconds,” Leonard said.
Daniela Bandera, Colony resident, said, “Still it is better than the beginning of the year but sometimes it is like it goes back. It has made me go to the library. I have online chapel and sometimes it will not load the podcasts.”
