OSU has a fluctuating global WiFi that is neither reliable nor capable of providing desired coverage for the hustle and bustle of campus. There are very few outdoor access points and the ones that do exist are spaced far apart from one another and point towards major gathering areas such as the MU. With the focus on these populated areas, there is not enough attention given to the major walkways where more students need reliable WiFi. When they have ten minutes to get from one class to another, but they have to send an email to a professor, they usually have to wait a great deal of time before their internet browser even launches. To solve this, more WiFi access points would need to be installed outdoors. The downside to the installation is the required wiring and waterproofing which evens out to $2,500 each. According to the Director of IT for the College of Engineering at Oregon State University, in order to create a better outdoor coverage two things must happen: Special outdoor rated access points must be purchased and a hard-line data connection must be brought to the exterior of a building and be made waterproofed. The waterproofing and getting an ethernet cable outside of the building are by far the most expensive portions of the task because the actually installation of an indoor access point isn’t anywhere near as expensive. When installing outdoor, not only do funds need to be directed towards the equipment, but to ensure the job is done effectively and lasting, a professional electrician must be hired to install them. This increases the price of the entire endeavor exponentially. It is brought up so much so that it makes it unlikely that we will see any major change done to the WiFi connection on campus unless it is directly mentioned and brought up. Only through bringing to light these issues about global WiFi over the Oregon State University, we can seek to find a better solution to the main money problem involving the acquiring of more outdoor access points such as fundraisers or petitions signed to get some gears turning.
