The switch has been flipped, and the Information and Technology Services (ITS) network services team is extending Wi-Fi coverage within nearly 60 non-residential buildings on campus.
“More than 100 classrooms, meeting rooms, and outdoor areas will experience Niner Wi-Fi capabilities for the first time, including the Denny Building and the surrounding Quad,” said Ozlem Cankurtaran, interim network services manager. “Prior to the Wi-Fi expansion, members of the campus community had limited access to wireless network connections; however, the Wi-Fi Expansion project will significantly increase the coverage, capacity and speed of the Wi-Fi network on the UNC Charlotte campus.”
The existing UNC Charlotte Wi-Fi network is several years old and is running on aging technology that does not support the latest standards or the latest OS.
“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of wireless devices on campus over the last two years and our current Wi-Fi infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the demand,” said Chad Lenox, network specialist. “With the Wi-Fi Expansion project, we’re rebuilding the entire wireless network from the ground up.”
The newly designed wireless network consists of a highly scalable, highly redundant, 10-Gigabit core, as well as campus-wide access to 802.11n speeds. The benefits of 802.11n include: 6x- to 8x-speed and larger capacity improvements, more efficient RF utilization and backward compatibility.
“Now, ITS network services is taking the wireless network experience to the next level,” said Joseph Moses, project manager. Within hours of flipping the switch, Moses observed that students at Denny had immediately discovered the new wireless capability, and they were using their tablets and smart phones in the quad near the Belk Tower.
“Students were collaborating on projects, and they were interfacing with the University in new ways for the first time. This is changing their relationship with the campus. Now, students can use their personal devices to maintain continuous connections to a robust, sustainable network as they conduct research individually or work in groups.” Moses remarked. “This is a realization of one of ITS’ primary objectives: to successfully deliver value-added services that significantly improve the student, faculty and staff customer experience and productivity on campus.”
The Wi-Fi Expansion project builds upon the launch of Niner Wi-Fi during fall 2012, which provided a more convenient, secure and reliable method to connect to the Internet wirelessly. The Wi-Fi Expansion project is expected to be completed by the end of the 2013 fall semester.