Pitt has outsourced WiFi services for all residence halls and University-owned housing units beginning this fall, and will charge students for faster speeds, according to an email sent Tuesday to students and a Thursday announcement on my.pitt.edu.
“The University recognized the need to improve Wi-Fi access in our residence halls and has worked with a third-party vendor to make enhancements to the system over the summer,” the announcement said.
MyResNet, a product of Apogee, a technology services provider for universities, advertises that students will receive “reliable… guaranteed” speeds of 60 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for free on up to seven devices. Students can purchase speeds of 100 Mbps for downloads and 50 Mbps for uploads, for use on up to 10 devices, for $69 per semester.
Pitt spokesperson Kevin Zwick said in an email that the University will see none of the optional $69 fee.
CSSD, Pitt’s IT department, will still operate the free Wireless-PittNet and Wireless-PittNet-Fast WiFi networks at all academic buildings, which offer speeds of up to 300 Mbps per wireless access point. Until this fall, CSSD provided that WiFi service at all residence halls and University-owned housing units.
Zwick said students who have previously used a wired connection for Internet access, using an Ethernet port, can still do so by calling the CSSD Help Desk at 412-624-4357.
Students were outraged at the move by the University, wondering why tuition — which was just increased by as much as 7% for some students — as well as room and board fees, did not fully cover WiFi costs. Every semester, students pay a mandatory $175 computer and network services fee, which the University uses for “upgrading and maintaining the University’s computer systems, equipment, and facilities,” according to the Student Payment Center.
Dighan Kelly, a rising senior urban studies, French and English triple major, said she was shocked when she heard about the changes being made to the WiFi.
“I was honestly very flabbergasted that Pitt thought that making WiFi on a paid scale at a university was a good idea. But also thought that that would go over well with students,” Kelly said. “Especially after this giant tuition increase.”
Twitter user @mikeytheasian said he was upset the University downgraded the speeds available to students, and will now be charging for speeds that are less than what was available before.
“If you’re gonna charge extra for a service, fine – keep what you already have (good) and charge extra for improvements on top of that,” the user said in a tweet. “Don’t cut back on service, charge the same for it, and have the nerve to ask for extra for worse service.”
Zwick said students are provided the basic MyResNet plan for free, and that the $175 per-semester fee, which has not risen since the 2010-11 school year, provides students with access to a wide variety of software at below-market prices.
The change also caught some students by surprise because the email notifying them about the MyResNet migration was sent two weeks before most students are set to move in, and the migration had not been discussed publicly before an announcement on its completion.
Zwick said the undertaking to replace wireless access points in 2,900 rooms across Pitt’s 38 residence halls began the day after move-out in April so the service would be available by move-in in the fall.
“We announced the service early to allow students to register their devices in advance so they’ll be able to connect upon arrival to campus,” he said.
Zwick said the migration was a result of feedback and CSSD Help Desk requests from students over the past few years. He was unable to make a representative from CSSD available for questions.
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