Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Partnership gives residential students high speed internet

(Worcester, MA – June 10, 2004) When residential students return to Worcester State College in the fall they will enjoy high speed Internet service, thanks to a partnership between the College and Charter Communications.

Charter installed the fiber-based network in residence halls this spring, giving each student one megabit of service, the equivalent of home broadband service. Prior to this the campus shared six megabits of service among all seven hundred resident students, commuter students, faculty, and staff.  According to Associate Vice President for Information Technologies Donald Vescio, Ph.D., “Students tend to be intensive users of the Internet. They do a lot of uploading and downloading, which has put a strain on our campus network. By giving each resident the equivalent of home broadband service, our system is freed up to meet the needs of our campus community.”

Additionally, the high speed Internet service enhances the quality of resident life, noted Vice President of Student Affairs Sibyl Brownlee, Ph.D., “We have a beautiful campus and will soon open a new 348-bed residence hall. High speed internet access is something that students appreciate. We are pleased to be able to offer them this service at no additional cost.” The new residence hall, which will be ready for occupancy September 2004, will bring to 1,000 the number of students living on campus.

In making the announcement of the new high-speed Internet service, Bob Spain, Charter Communications Spokesperson, said, “We are delighted to be providing this service to Worcester State College. Our company is dedicated to the continued growth of our fiber network business to facilitate the expansion of educational programs and services.”

Vescio also noted, “The high-speed service provides Internet access up to fifty times faster than the previous system. It’s a part of Worcester State College’s continuing commitment to our students. We want to make sure that every one of our students enjoys a quality educational experience.”

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