U Alabama Birmingham Delivers 250 Mbps Broadband to Residents
The University of Alabama at Birmingham has drastically increased the speed of its on-campus residential network, with an upgrade that has brought 250 Mbps connections to each resident in all five of its residence halls.
That 250 Mbps speed — which is actually just the base speed, since residents can opt to purchase more bandwidth — is about 24 times the estimated average speed of 10.5 Mbps per household in the United States.
Resnet provider Apogee handled the planning and implementation of the network, which went live at the end of July. The service includes:
- Wired and wireless access for residents;
- Complimentary WiFi access in all private and common areas, including laundry rooms, with wireless access to print stations;
- Full-time, on-site student support provided by Apogee, along with around-the-clock support via voice, chat, text, etc.; and
- Support for additional bandwidth at an additional charge for those who need it, up to 1 Gbps.
"Advanced networks are essential in the education environment," said Carolyn Farley, director of Academic and Student Services for U Alabama Birmingham, in a prepared statement. "We feel a real responsibility to give our students cutting edge technology so they can thrive in a community of scholars."
"As higher education's ResNet leader, Apogee is proud to provide UAB students with unprecedented access to a variety of network amenities," said Chuck Brady, CEO of Apogee, also in a prepared statement. "We have found a shared vision and commitment in the UAB team, and are very much looking forward to a successful partnership as we work together to empower students to learn through technology."
UAB's residence halls can currently serve 2,153 students. A sixth building that will serve an additional 680 students is currently under construction and is expected to open for the fall 2015 semester.