Houston Baptist University Putting New Wireless APs in Every Dorm Room
Houston Baptist University is revamping its residential network to ensure students can connect to their online classes as they follow social distancing requirements in their dorms. The institution partnered with Apogee, a provider of managed ResNet services, to replace its aging infrastructure with high-speed wireless.
"With the pandemic in mind, we knew we needed to upgrade our residential network to enable the social distancing and online aspects of how HBU will be delivering classes," explained Dee Thompson, HBU technical director, in a statement. "And we wanted to be able to give students options on how and where they can attend class."
The university is rolling out the new WiFi network in all 11 residence halls, as well as in many older buildings and one six-story structure on campus. Each dorm room will have its own access point, allowing students to attend online classes, videoconference with family and friends, stream movies and TV shows, and more. In addition, Apogee will provide 24/7/365 tech support via phone, chat, text or e-mail.
"The residential life experience will become more like the student's experience at home. Not only will they be able to access their school-related resources, but the entertainment aspect cannot be downplayed," said Thompson. "With this level of service, students will be able to work and socialize via technology in the ways they are accustomed to while away from campus. I believe our new ResNet service will be a differentiator for HBU."
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Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].