U Kansas Rolls Out Distributed Antenna Systems to Boost Wireless Coverage

The University of Kansas (KU) is upgrading its mobile infrastructure with a campus-wide implementation of distributed antenna systems (DAS). The three-year, multi-million dollar rollout aims to improve wireless coverage and capacity across the 1,000-acre campus.

KU selected telecommunications provider AT&T to deploy the new 4G LTE-capable network. The first phase of the rollout began last month with the goal of providing coverage for buildings on the west and southwest areas of the campus as well as "KU Athletics facilities, including Allen Fieldhouse, Hoglund Ballpark, Anschutz Pavilion, Horejsi Family Athletics Center," according to a statement to the media.

Phase two of the implementation will extend coverage to academic facilities and residence halls located on the northeast end of campus as well as the university's 50,000-seat Memorial Stadium and adjacent buildings. The third and final phase, slated for completion by the end of 2015, will provide coverage to the remaining residence halls. AT&T plans to open the DAS to other providers as each phase is completed.

"This thorough, campus-wide network enhancement will pay big dividends as mobile usage on campus continues to accelerate at a rapid pace," said Bob Lim, chief information officer for the institution. "KU holds many large scale events throughout the year, and the additional mobile bandwidth that results from this effort will allow for a more enjoyable experience for our faculty, staff, students and key stakeholders."

The university's DAS implementation is part of AT&T's Project Velocity IP (VIP). The three-year project, which debuted last fall, aims to increase the density of the company's wireless network with a nationwide deployment of more than 1,000 DAS, plus 10,000 macro cells and 40,000 small cells. The company plans to complete the rollout by the end of 2015.

The University of Kansas is a public research university serving more than 28,000 students on five campuses, including Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, Salina, and Kansas City.

Additional information about AT&T's network is available online.

About the Author

Kanoe Namahoe is online editor for 1105 Media's Education Group. She can be reached at [email protected].

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