Ithaca's Information Technology Services department is committed to providing outstanding and reliable services to the campus community.
In recent years it has become more difficult to provide and maintain a reliable residential network (ResNet), as many other colleges across the country have experienced.
Students want fast, reliable Internet service. We have determined that the best way to accomplish this is by having a dedicated Internet Service Provider (ISP) for ResNet. This change will not affect the academic and administrative computer networks that faculty and staff use.
Beginning this fall, Apogee Telecom Inc. will be the College's ResNet provider. Ithaca has undergone a lengthy selection process and has chosen Apogee for a number of reasons. Among them, (1) Apogee specializes in the university market, (2) they received an outstanding recommendation from another university who is currently using Apogee as their ResNet provider, and most importantly, (3) they were willing to provide a basic service level to students at no additional cost.
Apogee will offer three service plans for Ithaca students, all of which will provide reliable, high-speed access to on-campus networked services. The basic plan will provide Internet access at 64 Kbps free of charge. Students will have the option to subscribe to higher-speed Internet access at very competitive pricing to suit their particular Internet access needs. Further, there will be no restrictions on Internet usage as we currently have on gaming and other entertainment, within the confines of Apogee's service agreement. More details about service levels will be available to students shortly.
We recognize that the Internet is an important part of everyday life and believe that Apogee will provide our students with the reliable service they desire. To find out more, we are hosting a ResNet Town Meeting where students can meet and talk with ITS and Apogee representatives on Thursday, April 15, 12:10-1:00 p.m. in Textor 102.
Contributed by Ed Fuller
