The Verizon fiber connection that provides the University with Internet activity was accidentally cut early Tuesday morning, according to University Information Services. Students, faculty and staff on main campus, the Medical Center, Hospital and Law School, as well as University locations on Wisconsin Avenue could not access the Internet from 5 a.m. Tuesday morning to about 11 p.m. that night.
“It’s amazing how electronically tied together the [whole campus] is here. It’s enormous how much an Internet break can affect us,” said Beth Ann Bergsmark, director of Academic and University Technology.
Bergsmark said that the University has not received any formal information from Verizon as to what actually caused the break. She said that she suspects that the heavy construction in the Georgetown area may be to blame.
University Information Services received some complaints yesterday, but said that most people understood that it was a “physical break beyond our control,” Bergsmark said.
According to David Lambert, Vice President for Information Services, all campus internet connection currently comes into the area through one fiber optical line. Bergsmark said that there is not much UIS can do to control breaks outside the campus environment, but they are looking into creating an alternate line for campus service. According to Lambert, UIS has already explored at least 25 options for an alternate fiber path. The high start-up costs of this project, however, have deterred Verizon from installing a new line.
Lambert said in a campus technology town hall meeting on Tuesday that reconstruction 10 years ago greatly improved campus Internet connection. Four years ago there were approximately 25 points where a break could occur; whereas today, there are only three, he said.
“This has not been the best day UIS has had in a long time,” Lambert said.
