Free access to Penn modem pool ends

Calling all off-campus computer junkies: You'd better pay up or log off. Since the University ended free connections to its modem pool at the end of July, students living off campus must switch to commercial service providers. Since August 1, users have been charged to dial into the service, which had provided free on-line access to students and faculty since 1996. University officials decided to discontinue the pool by mid-2002, citing the development of better technology in the private sector as the reason behind the change. Now, dial-up users have to choose between continuing to use the existing pool -- at $13 a month -- or switching to a commercial provider. Penn has made arrangements with several commercial providers, DCANet and Bell Atlantic, to get service at a price of $12.95 per month for Penn users. Vice Provost for Information Systems and Computing Jim O'Donnell recommended that students use the private ISPs instead of paying to use Penn's connection. "Our recommendation is based around trying to get a good price for people," he said in July, noting that Penn's current modem pool is significantly slower than that offered by many commercial services. In a pilot program conducted over the past few months, where Penn paid for three months of commercial services for students in exchange for a detailed evaluation of the company, O'Donnell said users preferred the services of DCANet over Bell Atlantic and recommended that students go with DCANet. O'Donnell said the process of transitioning users from the Penn pool to a commercial service has been progressing well. "The typical usage for the month of July is down noticeably compared to last July," he said. While free access ended on July 31, free access to the express pool -- which allows users to log on for 15 minutes at a time -- will remain available. Users will have to configure a new phone number on their computers in order to connect to the express pool, though O'Donnell discouraged dial-up users from relying on the service. "It'll be free, but it will be crowded and slow," he said. For those who have yet to transition from Penn to a commercial ISP, O'Donnell suggested checking in with the ISC's Web site to find the ISP that fits their needs best. "The best thing you can do is plan ahead," he said

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.