Ethernet, cable near completion
Phonoscope Cable TV is currently working on SRC and the old section of WRC. The company will begin installation in Baker's ninth entrance on Sept. 25. The rest of Baker has already been connected, as have the rest of the colleges.
According to Residential Colleges Manager Bob Truscott, "the construction process is going slow," but installation is still on schedule in all the colleges except SRC.
The delay at SRC is because of its size, which was not considered in the schedule. The new schedule projects that SRC will be finished Sept. 22.
Food and Housing is monitoring Phonoscope by taking all complaints directly and then forwarding them to Phonoscope via e-mail. Truscott said most of the complaints have been about contractors accidentally skipping rooms.
"Once we get cable turned on, everything seems fine," Truscott said.
Phonoscope's employees are trained for cable wiring, but not Ethernet wiring. Truscott said that Phonoscope agreed to install Ethernet during last year's negotiations and have brought in a subcontractor for some of the work.
According to Robert Fullmer, a consulting specialist at Mudd Laboratory, Phonoscope is only responsible for installing room ports and connecting them to wiring closets. If there are any problems with room ports or "wires sticking out of the wall," Phonoscope should fix them, Fullmer said.
The Technical Services Department at Mudd Lab is responsible for the wiring in the electrical closets and system activation. Paul Engle, a technical services specialist, said Wednesday that they were working on Hanszen College and should have it finished by today.
SRC and WRC will not have service until Phonoscope is finished installing the ports.
Many students are indifferent to the Ethernet and cable installation. Fiona Goodison, a WRC freshman said, "I love cable, but for right now, TV is just a distraction, and cable would only add to the problem."
Others wish that the university would offer them more services, like a second Ethernet port in each room and premium cable channels.
William Deigaard, systems programmer at Mudd Lab, said they only activated one port per room because of the cost, but students "can request additional ports through their college representatives."
Truscott says that F&H has no plans to expand cable service beyond the 54 basic channels. Students will, however, be able to subscribe to other channels through Phonoscope at their own expense if interested. Brown College senior Chad Kopp said he would be "willing to pay extra for a premium package" so he could "see real movies."
Truscott was not sure how this option would work.
This item appeared in the News section of the September 22, 1995 issue.
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