Georgetown may be famous for its networking potential, but unfortunately for Hoyas, our wireless internet network is nothing to brag about. With rival universities and even whole cities going completely wireless, it’s embarrassing that Georgetown students have better Wi-Fi access at Saxby’s than in Lauinger Library.
Georgetown’s intermittent wireless coverage is inadequate and insecure in comparison to other area universities. American University has 100 percent wireless coverage and a secure network. All campus buildings, along with many outdoor areas, have been wireless since 2002, according to Eric Weakland, AU’s director of network security. George Washington University also has password-protected wireless access available in almost all of its dorms and academic buildings. With such a small campus, Georgetown should easily be able to match that standard.
The current HOYAS network consists of wireless access installed in certain buildings as part of the University’s 1998-2002 technology update, wireless in all new building projects and major renovations since 2002 and departments that opted to pay for their own wireless access, according to University Information Services Vice President and Chief Information Officer H. David Lambert. Lambert acknowledges that the current infrastructure is outdated, does not meet demand and needs to be secured. Admitting that you have a problem is the first step, but now it’s time we knew when these problems are going to be fixed.
UIS has a few small improvements in the works, like strengthening Lauinger’s fleeting signal by the end of the school year and testing ways to secure Georgetown’s wireless network at UIS’ headquarters on 35th and Wisconsin. For now, though, wireless card incompatibility is preventing the secure network from being implemented across campus, and the lack of wireless security puts the privacy of students and faculty at risk.
But even if the network remains unsecured, students and faculty need wireless coverage. All residence halls, apartment complexes, and academic buildings, in addition to Lauinger Library and the Leavey Center, should have consistent wireless access. Requesting that vendors submit proposals to implement campus-wide coverage, as UIS has done, is a step in the right direction. But without solid funding and a clear timeline to keep things on track, it’s too early to commend the University for this small advance. Better wireless needs to stop being a priority and start being a reality.
