The U’s Residence Halls are installing wireless Internet and removing phone lines in student rooms.

Students will not have to pay any additional fees for wireless installation or activating the service.

“We asked residents in a survey how many use their room phone or what they use instead,” said Barb Remsburg, associate director for Housing and Residential Education. “Ninety percent said they never use their room phone.”

Taelor Coyle, a sophomore in biology, said she wishes the Residence Halls had installed wireless Internet before the end of the semester.

“Wireless Internet is a great idea,” she said. “The cord is just a hassle to plug into my computer right now. Also, if someone’s in your room and you want to study in the study hall, you can’t get Internet there.”

Students living in Sage Point already have a wireless connection, and the service is being installed in Chapel Glen and the other residence halls.

The wireless connection will be on each floor so students will be able to access Internet anywhere in the building, including kitchens, hallways and the common area. Residents will gain access by entering their uNID and password.

Laura Lingeman, a sophomore in international studies, thinks adding wireless Internet is a good thing, but taking out room phones will be a problem for students who don’t have cell phones.

“It’ll be a lot harder to make calls for those who don’t have cell phones,” she said. “The majority who don’t (have phones) are international students.”

Students who wish to use a room phone will have to pay a $60 installation fee and $16 per month for the phone line. A handset will be provided in each room for students to use. The phone lines will be officially deactivated May 12.

The Shoreline Apartments will be keeping their phone lines and receiving wireless Internet access. When the survey was taken, a higher percentage of students in Shoreline said they use their phones, said Kathy North, associate director for the Office of Information Technology.

“Shoreline is a more family environment,” said David Kosanke, who is managing the installations.

Instead of the room phone, HRE recommends that students buy a cheap cell phone plan through the U. AT&T works with the U and offers a 10 percent discount to students, faculty and staff. Students with their UCard can receive a 450-minute plan through AT&T for $33.99 per month. For more information, visit www.it.utah.edu.

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