Wireless Internet, data and telephone service was installed in Cayuga Hall this summer.

The entire project cost the university $2.3 million for construction as well as another $700,000 for the equipment used to operate the new technology, Rick Kolenda, director of Residence Life and Housing said.

“The new equipment needs to be in temperature controlled rooms because it can’t get too hot or too cold,” Kolenda said. “There are telecom rooms already in Seneca, Onondaga, and Oneida.” Those buildings are the next on the list to receive wireless, data, and telephone service.

“Tentatively, we have planned to add a wireless network to Seneca and Oneida Halls during the summer of 2012,” Chief Technology Officer Joseph Moreau said. “Onondaga is tentatively scheduled to have a wireless network installed during the summer of 2013.”

By consolidating the projects Oswego State will save money.

“We do our very best to bundle projects together in the residence halls so related construction can be done by one contractor and done at the same time,” Moreau said. “This generally saves money and reduces disruption in the use of the residence halls. For example, as we develop the plans for installing a wireless network in Funnelle, Scales and Waterbury Hall we are planning to incorporate this work into larger scale remodeling projects that are being considered.”

According to Kolenda all of the residence halls are built with cinder blocks so it is difficult for wireless signals to pass through the walls of Cayuga. Originally, six communication sites were put into the building, but after evaluating the strength of the signal throughout, the contractors chose to add two more.

“The project went very smoothly,” Moreau said. “The only complication that arose was that we needed to utilize a special mounting box for the wireless access points due to the ceiling configuration in the building.”

Establishing wireless on the entire campus will not happen overnight, Kolenda said.

“Certainly, we know that most of our students are heavily dependent on the wireless network for a wide variety of needs on campus,” Moreau said. “We hear regularly from students about expanding the wireless network both in terms of coverage and speed. I feel confident that the students in Cayuga Hall will be very excited to have access to the wireless network in their rooms.”