Dooley is overseeing the project, working with DalTech's communications technician, Bruce Kelloway. The cables are being laid with minimal disturbance to the buildings and netwoks. Students and faculty probably won't even notice the difference. But this doesn't mean the change won't be valuable, says John Sherwood, director of Dalhousie's Communications Services. It also lays an infrastructure for the future that is especially relevant for technical institutions.
Speed is also important.
The copper wire connections cannot be upgraded and are quickly becoming obsolete. As the network upgrades are phased in, transferring information between buildings will be easier and more efficient. As well, the upgraded network will let administrators and researchers take advantage of the latest protocols, database and information management systems that require higher speeds.