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NUI Galway to test wireless LAN 
Friday, January 25 2002
by Matthew Clark


National University of Ireland Galway is testing the usefulness of laptops and
wireless networks for students in a program sponsored by Compaq. 



NUI Galway, through Computer Services and Compaq Ireland, are collaborating on a
mobile computing project using wireless local area network technology. Earlier
this month 20 students were issued Compaq laptop computers, five were given iPaq
PDAs with Internet access and 15 were given wireless network cards for use in
their own portable computers. All equipment was given to the students free of
charge.



The purpose of the program is to test the value of wireless LANs for University
students, in terms of benefits to the learning process as well as study habits.
"We are going into it with an open mind, but since it was started a week ago I
am getting great enthusiasm so far from the students," explained Pat Byrne a
lecturer in information technology at the University. 



NUI Galway currently has two base stations set up from which students can
wirelessly access the LAN. One station is in the school's library and the second
in a social area of the University's campus, known as "Smokey Joe's." Byrne
said two other base stations were being considered. 



"There is great pressure on the campus (fixed) LAN. At certain times of the
year, especially around exam time, students have to wait, sometimes for as long
as an hour to get access to a computer." Byrne said that the University was
hopeful that if the program was successful it could expand the wireless network
which would ease pressure on its computer laboratories. 



NUI Galway says the plan is an "essential precursor" to any full-scale
deployment of mobile technology. As a follow-on to the pilot scheme, it should be
possible to embed the cost of a laptop in the fees for some post-graduate courses
such as the MBS in Electronic Commerce, the Masters in Business Administration
(MBA), and the Masters in Information Technology (MIT), NUI said. 



Furthermore, through negotiated agreements with computer suppliers, deals should
emerge which will make laptops available to undergraduate students at
market-competitive prices. 



NUI Galway is not the first university in Ireland to use a wireless LAN. In July
Dublin City University's School of Computer Applications installed a similar
network to help its visually impaired students. While the DCU system is geared
towards visually impaired students, the school has said it hopes to open the
system to all students in time. However the DCU program is not free.