VSU experienced the loss of Wi-Fi twice within the month of September. Now, Chief Information Officer Brian Haugabrook said that IT will be prepared in the face of another.

“Unfortunately every year or so a fiber line will get cut between here and Atlanta,” Haugabrook said. “This time it happened just South of Tifton.”

Haugabrook said VSU added a second internet provider last week giving the university two separate fiber paths.

“We still have the path going towards Atlanta through Tifton but we also have another path that goes a little differently,” Haugabrook said. “If one gets cut then we’ll still have internet access.”

Normally, the University System of Georgia requires all universities use PeachNet as their internet provider, who then gives the universities two fiber paths.

“Typically their (USG and PeachNet’s) approach is to have two separate paths, but because we’re so isolated where we are, we only have one path coming at our university,” Haugabrook said.

VSU added Hargray Communications as their second provider. It is funded by student technology fees, housing fees, and state allocated money.

According to Haugabrook, PeachNet and Hargray Communications have allowed IT to increase campus internet speed by 52 percent.

“We’re running through some tests, making sure everything looks good,” Haugabrook said. “We’re hoping by next year to see a 100 percent increase.”

There will be no new network for students to sign in to use. According to Haugabrook, VSU’s Wi-Fi network is so advanced that students will never know which network provider they’re connected to.

“You’re still connected the same way and don’t know that you’re actually going through a new provider,” Haugabrook said.

Haugbrook said that the network speed has increased from 1300Mbps to 2000Mbps. He also said that IT hopes to have the internet speed up to either 3000Mbps or 4000Mbps by spring or fall semester 2018.

Written by Bryce Ethridge, News Editor.

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