Pitt expanding wireless access

Pitt’s campus may see more traffic within the next few years, but luckily it will be… Pitt’s campus may see more traffic within the next few years, but luckily it will be wireless Internet traffic.

The University has begun surveying buildings around campus to see which parts of campus will be able to sustain the Internet and which ones will need further work.

Jinx Walton, director of Pitt’s Computing Services and Systems Development said that some of the buildings might require drilling or other maintenance issues to set up the network.

Walton said that these recent surveys are part of a two-year plan to create a campus-wide wireless network by July 2008. Some of the buildings surveyed include the William Pitt Union, Benedum Hall and Allen Hall.

Walton expects most other campus buildings will be surveyed within the next couple of months.

According to Walton, students who were surveyed before the plan began said that they wanted wireless networks in places they would most likely be concentrating on schoolwork.

“They were really interested in having wireless in the academic buildings,” Walton said. She added that they will try to focus on the areas where students tend to congregate.

Walton said that the main goal of CSSD wireless plan is “to get it in place and maintain it the same way as the wired network,” referring to the program already in place that runs the Internet in the dormitories and in the computer labs.

Some buildings on campus might have wireless networks before the end of October, Walton said, although she added that the effort will be an ongoing process.

“We’re hoping to start bringing buildings online throughout the academic year,” Walton said.