Staff Editorial: Going wireless all across campus

Over the past few years, Penn has been experimenting with wireless Internet access in several campus buildings. Trial programs have been started in Hill College House, Huntsman Hall and even the outdoor plaza in University Square.

The latest endeavor is going wireless in several parts of the newly-renovated Hamilton College House. Lounges and common areas have been equipped with wireless technology that allows students to hold group study sessions outside of their cramped quarters.

An increasing number of schools have already gone wireless, including other area schools and some of our Ivy League peers. And it is reassuring to see that Penn is attempting to keep up with the latest technology. Study spaces will certainly become more heavily populated with the addition of Internet access.

But at the same time, it seems that a trial experiment with wireless Internet is unnecessary. With several buildings on campus having done it successfully, the time has come for Penn to make the whole campus wireless accessible.

With the addition of cafes and outdoor seating all over Locust Walk, allowing students to bring their laptops outdoors seems like a logical next step. If buildings along the Walk have already been equipped with the technology, it seems as though placing routers on College Green would be fairly easy and cost efficient.

In addition, after trial runs in half a dozen buildings on campus, it would make sense to begin installing wireless access in every building, including dormitories. A university with top tier business and engineering schools should be able to boast that it offers potential students the newest and best technology available, even if there are initial inconveniences.

We understand that there will be bugs in the system at first and that this cannot be done overnight. But the positives of going wireless all over campus -- buildings and outdoor areas included -- certainly outweigh the preliminary negatives. Penn should go wireless as soon as possible in order to stay at the technological forefront of higher education.

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