KU News Release

Wireless network expansion kicks off spring semester

LAWRENCE — Wireless connectivity to the Internet is available in two additional classroom buildings on the University of Kansas’ Lawrence campus as the 2008 spring semester begins. Four more buildings are scheduled for activation at the end of January.

This expansion signals the completion of two of the five planned phases of the KU Wireless Initiative, a $2.6 million project designed to add wireless coverage in approximately 100 new classroom and lab areas in 32 buildings across the Lawrence campus.

Fraser and Wescoe halls are equipped with new wireless access points to facilitate connection to Internet resources for students, faculty and staff in those environments. Work at Haworth, Malott, Murphy and Summerfield halls is under way and are scheduled for wireless activation by Jan. 31.

The KU Wireless Initiative is funded by a matching arrangement between Student Senate and the university. Student Senate provided consultation in determining the priority sequence for the buildings included in the network expansion. Implementation of the project is led by the Information Technology division of KU’s Information Services. The project aims to achieve wireless coverage in 100 percent of classrooms, labs and other selected academic areas on the Lawrence campus by fall 2008.

Academic areas in 26 additional buildings will become wireless activated during the spring and summer semesters as phases three, four and five of the project progress. When complete, the project will add 700 new wireless access points to the recently upgraded 200 existing access points in the KU wireless network.

Each phase of the project includes three stages that are executed concurrently in different buildings:

— A survey of the building and creation of a design for the access points
— The installation of those access points and other infrastructure
— Activation of the new access points as part of the KU wireless network

More information about the KU Wireless Initiative is available online.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.