OIT begins efforts to improve campus Wi-Fi as student complaints rise
Illustration by Esther Tang
Undergraduate students have submitted twice as many complaints about Wi-Fi issues as this time last year, according to Misha Bruno, Senior Consultant for IT Transformation and Strategic Initiatives and the manager of the OIT’s new wireless upgrade project.
Student complaints prompted the Office of Information Technology to begin an initiative to improve internet connection on campus by replacing outdated equipment and moving towards newer authentication methods, according to Bruno.
The OIT will invite companies to submit proposals for improving Rice’s network and choose the most effective solution.
The OIT expects its wi-fi improvement initiative to result in improved login verification, consistent campuswide Wi-Fi access and faster internet speeds, Bruno said.
Alex Quam, a Jones College senior, said that internet connectivity problems prevented him from booking a study room in Fondren Library.
“I was in the library on my laptop and the Wi-Fi kept acting up, so I was continually unsuccessful in booking [a study room] there,” he said. “I ended up giving up and deciding to work elsewhere because booking a study room was no longer as convenient as it used to be.”
Most of the connection issues tend to be concentrated within the residential colleges, according to Bruno. Yifan Cao, a Hanszen College freshman, said he can never access the Wi-Fi from his room.
“The Rice Wi-Fi is so unstable in my dorm,” he said. “I always have to use my cell phone to provide a hotspot for my laptop.”
Alessandro Topini, a Hanszen freshman, said that connection issues during online matches of Hearthstone impacted his gaming.
“[I]t's the only reason I lose,” he said.
“I do know that the Rice OIT is aware of the issue and is trying to pinpoint the problem by collecting data about people having issues with the Wi-Fi.
OIT ambassador for Brown College Robbie Foley said that although he has not noticed the Wi-Fi getting worse, he is having the same disconnection difficulties as last year. When the Wi-Fi is slow on his phone, Foley said he switches to using data because he has an unlimited plan. When the Wi-Fi disconnects on his laptop, Foley said he sometimes switches to the Rice Visitor network.
“At this point I’ve gotten used to it but I notice the freshmen complaining about it,” Foley, a sophomore, said.
Rather than becoming aggravated at Wi-Fi issues, some students have instead treated the poor Wi-Fi quality as a joke.
“Someone at Brown started a cheer one time that was just ‘Rice has objectively the worst Wi-Fi,’” Sam Holloway, a Brown College freshman, said. “[That] summarizes my feelings.”
More from The Rice Thresher
NOD permanently canceled, Rice strips away-decades old campus tradition
After 50 years of decadence, Wiess College’s infamous underwear party is no more. Born in the early 1970s after a group of Wiess students poured all their alcohol into a bathtub — creating a brew “so potent it removed the varnish” — Night of Decadence has spent years in the national eye. Allegedly recognized as one of Playboy’s top college parties in the nation, NOD has also been subject to mounting scrutiny over alcohol use and an “explicitly dangerous and sexual atmosphere.” Rice has now permanently canceled the public, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and Wiess magister Flavio Cunha announced in a message to campus June 5.
Rice Mutual Aid partners with student organizations to fundraise for Gaza
Rice Mutual Aid launched a fundraising campaign for Gaza on May 13 in partnership with 15 other student organizations at Rice, including Rice Students for Justice in Palestine, Rice Pride, the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice and the Rice Muslim Student Association. RMA will direct donations towards American Near East Refugee Aid, a non-governmental organization that provides humanitarian aid and emergency relief in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan. A day after its launch, the campaign raised over $2,000 according to RMA’s Instagram.
UCourt final case rules SA must revert to prior constitution
The University Court has ruled that the Student Association must revert back to the March 6, 2023 constitution after the proposed constitution amendment was found to have been misrepresented on this year’s ballot, University Court chair Beck Hall announced on April 24.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.