Gigabit Internet Service Coming to Student Housing at UT Austin
This fall, students housed in a new freshman residence by the University of Texas at Austin will connect to the Internet at speeds about 115 times as fast as the average home connection in the United States. Each user in the Callaway House will be provided with a gigabit Internet amenity service covered as part of the students' rent.
The Callaway House is billed as a "premier off-campus freshman residence," providing iPad stations, an iMac computer lab, a 2,400-square-foot fitness center, and a 4,600-square-foot multimedia and gaming center. Rent starts at about $5,000 per semester with unlimited meals and ranges up to $6,500, depending on the floor plan. The residence sits about one block from campus.
The new hall, opening in the fall semester, is owned and managed by American Campus Communities. The gigabit service is being provided by CampusConnect, a wholly owned subsidiary of resnet provider Apogee that offers customized networking and comunications solutions specifically for student housing, including broadband, wireless, cable TV, and phone service, as well as support.
The gigabit service is launching initially at Callaway House, but it is available nationwide immediately, according to CampusConnect.
"Today's college students demand two things from their ISP: speed and mobility. We provide both," said Rob Paver, president of CampusConnect, in a prepared statement. "Our team leverages expertise and training from both the provider and owner/developer perspective, helping our clients reduce unforeseen spending and develop stable budgets while exceeding students' expectations."
According to CampusConnect, Callaway House residents will not be limited in their Internet usage and will also have access to support around the clock.