The demand for more bandwidth at residence halls across the country is expected to continue increasing. A Residential Networking (ResNet) study stated that 61 percent of universities expected the cost of providing internet to residence halls to increase over the next two years. Only 40 percent of schools surveyed have a plan to deal with the expected rising costs.
Computers, wireless printers, smart phones, tablets, gaming systems, wireless televisions and e-readers are just some of the devices students may expect to run on residence hall Wi-Fi. New technology means more devices than ever demanding a spot on campus bandwidth.
Eight percent of 251 universities surveyed in the ResNet study allow unlimited devices on their network. With increasing costs, other options are being weighed to alleviate the burden of providing more bandwidth. Universities could consider options like limiting bandwidth access, allowing students an option to buy more bandwidth and outsourcing residential Wi-Fi.
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