EPB Providing UTC Campus 10 Gigabit Internet Access
Thursday, March 24, 2016
EPB, Chattanooga’s publicly owned provider of electric power and next-generation fiber optic communications, has partnered with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to provide 10 gigabit Internet connectivity throughout the entire campus.
The 10 gigabit service is available through 18,000 wired Ethernet ports and more than 1,500 WiFi access points serving all UTC buildings and facilities, and meets the growing demands for Internet access by students, faculty and staff.
“We’re experiencing tremendous growth in the number of wireless devices being used on campus,” said UTC chief information officer Tom Hoover.
“On average, each student has at least four bandwidth-hungry devices including smartphones, tablets, laptop computers, television streaming devices and multi-media gaming consoles.”
Prior to the recent completion of 10 gigabit Internet service, EPB was already serving the growing university with 2 gigabit campus-wide connectivity. By the beginning of the Spring 2016 semester, bandwidth demand on the UTC campus had exceeded 2-gigabits.
“EPB is proud to work with UTC to provide their students and staffs with cutting edge technology that they need to remain competitive,” said EPB president David Wade. “Meeting our community’s educational needs is critical to maintain and enhance Chattanooga’s economic growth and quality of life.”
UTC becomes Chattanooga’s first 10 gigabit commercial customer, and is among a very small group of U.S. colleges and universities with this high level of service. The 10 gigabit network is scalable with the ability to add connection points across campus as needed. UTC is already planning to fully upgrade WiFi service in all of its residence halls this summer. The upgrade is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of the Fall 2016 semester, offering students unprecedented access to Chattanooga’s gigabit network.