MSU plans $2.75 million Wi-Fi upgrade
Internet speed with instant and uninterrupted access is essential for student learning and engagement on college campuses. Morehead State is upgrading its Wi-Fi network to put MSU in a class all its own for Kentucky's public universities.
Through asset preservation funds and as part of MSU President Dr. Jay Morgan's campus revitalization plan, MSU will spend $2.75 million to upgrade the University's Wi-Fi network and improve overall network access for students, faculty, staff and visitors. Rick Phillips (Class of 2011), chief information officer for the Office of Information Technology (OIT), said this is an upgrade of all 1,400 APs (Access Points) across campus to 6E.
"It's actually brand new. It's been out a year or two, and no other school in Kentucky has done this exclusively," Phillips said. "Most schools don't replace 1,400 APs at a time. They just do a building here and there. It just made sense to do a big bang."
MSU's OIT saw an uptick in connectivity issues. This led to the University taking over the management of its online network and surveying every structure on campus using heatmaps to pinpoint spots in each building where signal strength is weak or nonexistent and tailoring their AP placement to optimize internet across campus.
"The previous plan just saw walls and treated it as a wall," said Marc Williams, senior network engineer. "We can focus on these specific issues and design around these specific issues and give a better design around campus."
The replacement of the APs will begin at the end of the Spring 2023 semester and take about nine months, with priority given to residence halls and commonly utilized areas like the Adron Doran University Center and Button Auditorium before moving on to administrative and academic buildings. MSU plans to improve the network at regional campuses and the University Farm.
Upon completion, MSU's Wi-Fi network will comfortably support high-speed, uninterrupted internet access. Students will notice immediate improvements in network capabilities, whether utilizing multiple devices during their studies or relaxing with gaming and streaming services during their downtime.
"This will be better everywhere," said David Flora (Class of 2002, 2005), project manager for OIT." Instructors in their office, classrooms, you name it."
"This will set MSU up where a freshman coming in will have a great experience until they graduate," Phillips said. "This Wi-Fi replacement is part of an overall strategy to improve the networking experience at Morehead State University."
For more information on MSU's Office of Information Technology, visit moreheadstate.edu/technology.
Photo: Jacob Ungruhe, a senior majoring in information systems, does a scan to detect and improve internet connectivity as part of MSU's upgrade to the campus Wi-Fi network.
