Students can expect faster Internet speed within the next few weeks as the Information Technology department plans to double Internet bandwidth from 250 Mbps to 500 Mbps.    
Slade Besson, director of telecommunications and networking for the University, said the updated harware should be installed by mid to late October.  He said the installation date depends on AT&T’s proposal of how long it will take to install the equipment and a date and time the University approves that would not affect when students use the connection.  
“Hopefully in the next two weeks we will have that hardware in place,” Besson said.  “We plan for it to ease some congestion.”
In a worst-case scenario, if the installation process would take longer than four hours, Besson said the University may delay installation until the Thanksgiving break when less students would lose connection.  
As more students populate campus with devices that require wireless services, the University had to expand its available bandwidth.  
“We’re estimating that each person brings three to four devices to campus, especially those who live here,” Besson said.   
An increase in online movie websites such as Netflix also consumes more bandwidth and creates interference with the Internet connection.
“Netflix over the last couple of semesters has almost taken over web traffic,” Besson said.  
A typical DSL connection is 3 Mbps for upload and 1 Mbps for download speeds.  Besson said the new Internet connection would be 500 Mbps for upload and download speeds.  
The University has increased the amount of bandwidth used on campus from 45 Mbps to 500 Mbps within the past two years.  The upgrade in Internet speed over the past two years also comes with an increase in price.  
For the 45 Mbps Internet connection in 2010, the University spent $6,300 a month.  The current Internet connection of 250 Mbps costs the University $13,885 a month.
The transition to a higher bandwidth will also save the University money since there are also changes to their contract with AT&T and types of connections used.  In August, the University made a request through the state Office of Telecommunications Management to change the University’s Internet connection to 500 Mbps for $8,181 a month.
Besson said the IT department continues to make improvements with wireless access points that were replaced in Babington, Ellender, Millet, Scholars and Zeringue Halls.  However, there were several incidents throughout the semester that have inconvenienced students in residence halls.
 He said the most current problem is with rooms in Calecas Hall that receive a low signal from access points throughout the building.  
 “By the end of the week, we hope to have a resolution on that,” Besson said.  
Students in Scholars Hall experienced times when there was no connectivity or limited connectivity.
“We upgraded the software in Scholars and we haven’t had any problems since,” Besson said.  
Kiala Singleton, family and consumer sciences senior and head resident assistant at Scholars Hall, said she lives on the first floor of Scholars and does not experience any major problems with the Internet connection.  She said there have been students who complained about the Internet connection but the IT department responds to complaints within a reasonable time frame.  
Students who experience problems with their Internet connection can apply for a work order request with the housing department in the La Maison du Bayou building, who will direct it to the information technology department.
“We try to stay ahead as much as possible and help students with their problems as much as possible,” Besson said.