Surf's up...and faster too
By Mary Brannon
If your Internet surfing seems a bit more fluid lately, it's not your imagination.
In late March, Furman expanded its Internet bandwidth to a connection that can handle roughly three times the traffic of the old one. The new university connection can handle at least 45 megabits per second, compared to 15 megabits per second using the old connection.
The result, says Richard Nelson of Computing and Information Services, is a much faster, more responsive Internet connection — particularly late in the afternoon, when network traffic grows as more students log on to the Internet. Nelson says that during the school year, peak Internet usage occurs between 9 p.m. and midnight.
Depending on the demand of other network users, the Furman network may operate at such high speeds as 90 megabits per second, making it one of the more robust college Internet connections in the region. Washington & Lee, Davidson and Sewanee all report an Internet bandwidth capable of handling up to 45, 20 and 60 megabits, respectively.
Sophomore Tommy Morgan, who works at the C&IS Help Desk, says that the increased bandwidth allows Furman students to “play games on-line now, whereas before it was not even worth trying” because the Internet connection was too slow. He adds that non-gamers benefit from the new connection as well, noting that students no longer have to worry about receiving spotty Internet service during peak traffic times.
The high-speed connection was made possible by the Western Carolina Biotechnology Consortium, an initiative launched by U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) in 2002 to stimulate economic development in the region.
According to the program's guidelines, Furman, Western Carolina University and the University of North Carolina at Asheville will receive $13 million in federal funding over several years to develop high-tech facilities and resources that are needed to establish competitive undergraduate and graduate training programs in the biotechnology field.
Taylor hopes that increased spending in the areas of technology and education will prevent the phenomenon known as “brain drain,” in which many of the region's brightest students leave the area for training and never return.
Inside Furman is published monthly during the school year by the Furman University Department of Marketing and Public Relations. For story ideas, e-mail John Roberts, editor.
