Slow, clunky Wi-Fi connections trip up UO students

EUGENE, Ore. — The University of Oregon’s clogged and clunky wireless system is a shock to many students.

The predicament began in the fall of 2011, when the demand for Wi-Fi connections on campus began outstripping the bandwidth the UO provides.

The Eugene Register-Guard reports the shortage of capacity is a potential multimillion dollar problem for the school.

Weak, slow or broken connections aren’t unusual, students say.

The university devoted $660,000 to tackle the first of these issues, maintaining connections, by the end of this year.

The student population has soared by 40 percent, to 24,500, since 2000, when only 60 people had signed on to the campus WiFi system. The system has failed to keep up.

Demand spikes at the beginning of fall, winter and spring terms.