More schools finding ways to meet ever-increasing bandwidth demands
As a wider array of devices, such as Smart TVs, game consoles, appliances, etc., are now Internet-aware, more schools than ever are making provisions for the influx of demand on residential networks. In fact, seven out of ten colleges and universities surveyed allow an unlimited number of devices to be connected to the residential network.
However, allowing for a multitude of devices on the network comes at a price, namely the consumption of limited bandwidth and an increase in institutional costs.
Universities and colleges are seeing, through increases to Resnet bandwidth, an opportunity to better serve their primary customers. This year’s data shows that, for the first time, over half of all institutions now offer 1 Gigabit throughput or more. However, as student demand on available bandwidth increases, four out five schools do not offer the option for students to pay for additional bandwidth.
While this year saw a decline in capping individual Internet bandwidth usage for campus residents, all other bandwidth-management practices, such as shaping and limiting bandwidth by protocol or blocking activities such as p2p sharing, music downloading, etc., are on the rise.
Other practices in place on campuses include:
- Throttling Internet speeds on guest Wi-Fi connections so as to prevent heavy streaming of data
- Dynamically sharing bandwidth equally amongst all users
- Limiting upload rates at the campus border
Outsourcing
Since 2013, the number of institutions outsourcing or considering outsourcing some or all Resnet services has almost doubled from 22 percent to 38 percent, reflecting the growing trend toward a shared service model to address complex operational and funding issues that come with managing this critical campus service.
As in other arenas, outsourcing campus services is mainly seen as a cost-saving measure. However, many institutions are approaching the idea of outsourcing as a way to improve service quality as well.
In the case of Resnet, for example, a private specialist may be able to provide resources and technological expertise to operate the service more efficiently and effectively than the higher education institution.
While there is a small decrease in the percentage of schools outsourcing services to cable providers, there is a parallel decline in the number of schools that provide cable TV services to on-campus residents. Fewer institutions currently outsource, or are considering outsourcing, help-desk services compared to other Resnet services.
However, this year, more schools outsourced the help-desk than cable television and phone.
Planning for the future
To adequately meet rapidly evolving networking needs, 60 percent of schools now have strategic plans in place for the Resnet. Such a plan may include an approach for management, as well as cost and performance information for Wi-Fi, Internet bandwidth, cable TV, IPTV, VoIP and related services.
In order to create a clear, focused path for the future of Resnet, 20 percent update their strategic plan annually, while 39 percent update it every 2-5 years. In contrast, 12 percent of institutions are unsure whether they have a strategic plan and/or how often it is updated.
One of the major obstacles preventing building solid strategies for growth is the lack of communication between departments. One-fourth of business officers do not meet with their IT department, nearly 20 percent of housing officers do not meet with the IT department, and 22 percent of IT officers do not meet with the Housing/Residence Life department.
To ensure Resnet initiatives and goals align, the report stresses that officers from business, housing and IT need to communicate with their counterparts regarding the quality and performance of Resnet services.
Doug Walker is an editorial freelancer with eCampus News.
- 25 education trends for 2018 - January 1, 2018
- IT #1: 6 essential technologies on the higher ed horizon - December 27, 2017
- #3: 3 big ways today’s college students are different from just a decade ago - December 27, 2017