Dive Brief:
- More IT leaders believe desktop and laptop computers will be larger consumers of bandwidth on campuses than other devices, including tablets and phones.
- Campus Technology reports the 2016 State of ResNet survey finds 59% of respondents said traditional systems will use the most bandwidth, down from 77% last year but still beating out tablets (59%), smartphones (55%), devices like Roku and Apple TV (49%), and gaming systems (42%).
- While previous years of the study had tablets at the top, IT leaders have been more concerned about traditional systems for the last two years because of student use of these devices for games, virtual learning, 3D modeling, computer animation and photo and video storage.
Dive Insight:
Colleges and universities planning their bandwidth consumption have had to accommodate increasingly demanding students. While students used to show up with no devices that could access the internet, now estimates range from the average student having two or three devices to seven or more. And with students using these devices for learning rather than simply entertainment, schools have significant pressure to make sure their systems are fast and consistent.
The University of California Irvine is one school that waited longer than most to replace its aging wireless infrastructure. But the recent upgrade has meant it could get the latest technology and expect to adequately serve students’ growing needs for years to come.