Village A, Village B, Harbin, New South, and Nevils will be the first residence halls to benefit from an expansion in wireless internet service, according to University officials.
Associate Director of Academic and Information Services Donna White announced that the University was in the evaluation stage of expanding wireless access. Approximately 20 students attended the town hall, held by University Information Services in McShain Lounge.
As the plan currently stands, residence halls that rely on a fiber optic network for internet will be the first to benefit from an expansion of wireless internet service. Residents in the so-called “fiber dorms”—Village A, Village B, Harbin, New South, and Nevils—currently need a media adapter to plug into the internet.
During a question and answer period students expressed frustration about Georgetown’s limited wireless network, which is non-existent in many parts of the campus.
“I’m just wondering why Georgetown is so late in the game,” Zoë Lillian (SFS ‘13).
UIS officials explained that wireless shortfalls were mainly the result of Georgetown’s reluctance to invest in a wireless infrastructure, which is expensive to maintain.
“Georgetown is never going to be on the leading edge,” White said. “We’re never going to put ourselves out there when the technology is thrown at us.”
The schools that have invested in extensive wireless networks, White said, have spent millions of dollars doing so. Georgetown has only slowly expanded its new network, which she said protects the school from having to reinvest in new technologies every couple of years.
Still, UIS officials said they were determined to expand the wireless network, and that the project is currently in the evaluation stage.
White also announced that on February 1, University Information Services would be kicking off a secure wireless network as a pilot that will be running in St. Mary’s and the Harris Building on Wisconsin Avenue. Eventually, when an updated wireless network is installed, the entire network will require a Net ID and password to log on.
Will Cousino (SFS ’12), Vice President of Interhall and event organizer, said he was pleased with the turnout of the meeting and with the UIS presentation.
