JMU IS STATE'S MOST UNWIRED CAMPUS (AND THAT'S A GOOD THING)

From: Media Relations

April 14, 2004

HARRISONBURG — James Madison University leads the commonwealth among colleges and universities in providing wireless computer access.

Intel Corp., the world's largest chip maker and a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products, in its first top-100 ranking of "Most Unwired College Campuses," placed JMU 39th in the nation and the highest ranked college in Virginia.

Other Virginia campuses in the top 100 were: No. 42, the College of William and Mary; No. 56, Shenandoah University; and No. 80, Washington and Lee University.

JMU currently has 48 "hotspots" in 24 locations on campus, said Dale Hulvey, assistant vice president for information technology. He added that JMU has focused most of its wireless network in campus locations where students tend to congregate and might use their laptop computers, such as the library and other group study locations.

"The survey," said an Intel news release, "reveals a growing number of schools across the country where students have the freedom to wirelessly access the Internet on notebook PCs — without a traditional wired connection — and stay connected and informed whether they're in the dorm room, library or outdoors at the campus quad."

The survey findings are based on the numbers of hotspots or access points for public wireless network services, the numbers of undergraduates and of computers, the computer-to-student ratio and the percentage of each campus covered by wireless technology.

Intel ranked "Most Unwired Cities" last year. This year, the corporation also surveyed colleges and airports for wireless Internet accessibility.

The complete list of top 100 unwired campuses is available at the Intel Web site at http://www.intel.com/products/mobiletechnology/unwiredcolleges.htm.
For more on JMU's wireless network and hotspot locales, visit the Web site at http://www.jmu.edu/computing/network/wireless.shtml.

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