Dive Brief:
- The 2015 State of ResNet Report shows increasing demand for residential network access on college campuses being met with greater investment and expanded bandwidth.
- Campus Technology reports the number of schools outsourcing services or considering doing so has nearly doubled from 22% in 2013 to 38% in 2015.
- Many schools are managing bandwidth by limiting certain activities like music downloading to handle the increase in devices using the network, Campus Technology reports.
Dive Insight:
The concentration of students in dorms and other residential areas has caused challenges for campuses looking to provide them with sufficient, reliable access to the network. Today’s students have far more devices they want to connect than their peers did just one generation ago. As the cost of providing and maintaining ResNet service grows, nearly half of institutions are turning to student and user fees to cover the difference. Next year will be the last of a five-year study about ResNet by a coalition of campus technology, business, and housing officers. By then, we might see whether the demand for bandwidth seems to be leveling out or simply continuing to grow.