As students head back to school, parents are not the only ones who are finding themselves in the position of spending money upgrading technology—universities and schools are, too. Technology in the classroom and on campus is important for students, and some students will find themselves heading back at school with better access to the Internet than they had last year. The University of Pittsburgh has announced that Wi-Fi has been extended across campus to include all residential dorms.
While this may seem like a given to most people, not every student was able to enjoy Wi-Fi in the past. One student told The Pitt News’s Elizabeth Furiga that her ability to use her laptop was previously limited by the reach of her Ethernet cable. The Wi-Fi, she says, is a major upgrade; “Now, that we have Wi-Fi, I could even easily bring my laptop to anywhere around the campus, let it be a classroom, dining hall or a friend’s dorm, to work on whatever assignment I have.”
A University spokesperson told Furiga that the upgrade took planning and budgeting, but that giving students unfettered access to the Internet became a “priority.” The expenses don’t stop there—he added that the University will also be paying for “ongoing operational costs,” but that the school “anticipates and budgets for these types of upgrades to meet the needs of our University community.”
Eastern Illinois University’s The Daily Eastern News reports that they, too, will be upgrading their Wi-Fi. Their installation has been described as “a long one,” but one that University officials assure students is “nearing completion.” Over the summer, Eastern Illinois University’s Pemberton Hall and Greek Court had wireless internet installed, which a spokesperson says cost the school over $400,000.
It is not just universities that are using the return to school as a time to reevaluate their Internet needs. In Idaho, 203 schools have decided to participate in a statewide wireless Internet contract for high schools, which will cost an estimated $10,300 per school.
Edited by Rory J. Thompson