University Information Technology (UIT) is on track to bring universal wireless coverage to all three of Tufts' campuses by the summer of 2013 and has plans to install wireless in South, Miller, Lewis and Tilton Halls and other residential facilities this summer.
UIT last year acquired funding for a three-year project to implement broad wireless coverage and over winter break last year began the installation process, according to UIT Director of Communications and Organizational Effectiveness Dawn Irish said. Seven new residence halls over the summer acquired wireless Internet access, including Carmichael, Metcalf and Houston Halls.
"We are working aggressively toward the goal and making great progress," Irish said, confirming the department's aim to establish universal wireless by June 2013.
UIT can only work in residence halls while students are on break, according to Irish. The department plans to install wireless in 10 additional residence halls this summer, including Hodgdon, South, Miller, Tilton, Lewis and Stratton Halls, as well as the Wilson, Richardson, Davies and Bartol Houses.
The university is currently focusing its attention on administrative buildings and classrooms along Boston and Talbot Avenues. Technicians are also this semester working to implement the technology in Pearson Laboratory and Eaton, Dowling and Ballou Halls, among others.
The project has yet to encounter any major setbacks, Irish said.
"It's been running as smoothly as can be expected," she said.
But rewiring an entire university does come with complications, Irish conceded. Many of the older campus buildings pose challenges to renovation plans due to their thick brick walls and the use of heavy steel in their foundations.
"The buildings are very old, which makes them hard to retrofit," Irish said.
The layout and placement of a building can also make a difference, according to Tufts Community Union (TCU) President Sam Wallis, who has been involved with the wireless instillation project since he was a freshman.
"Some dorms cost more to install [wireless in] because of their orientation," Wallis, a senior, said.
UIT proceeded cautiously while setting up the new wireless system due to the large number of network users, Irish said. Technicians use a tool called AirMagnet Survey to conduct a preliminary analysis of signals to optimize network configuration and design.
"We really do our best to make sure the coverage is consistent," Irish said.
Discussion surrounding the spread of wireless access on campus began in the Senate in 2007, led by Wallis and then-TCU senator Chas Morrison. Morrison, a senior, said the project was driven by the realization of how important wireless access is for academic purposes.
"Wireless access encourages student collaboration and cooperative learning," said Morrison in an e-mail.
Wallis and Morrison in 2007 conducted a review of wireless access at Tufts' peer academic institutions. They found that wireless installation at other colleges and universities was done in a manner designed to promote collaborative learning.
"We realized that residence halls, common areas and campus centers were focus points," Morrison said.
The Senate submitted its findings that year to the administration, which according to Morrison fully recognized the need for wireless access but was unsure about the speed at which it could be successfully implemented.
"We got it on the radar, which was exactly our goal," Wallis said.
Wallis is pleased with the progress UIT has been making installing wireless across campus.
The Senate will continue to monitor the progress of wireless expansion, though Wallis said it has lessened its involvement now that administrators are actively implementing the technology.
"It's great to know that future generations of students will be able to enjoy expanded wireless throughout their time on the Hill," Morrison said.
