Starting in March, the University of Twente will provide an internet connection at a speed of 1 gigabit per second. This speed will be available for both uploading and downloading. This puts the University of Twente once again at the forefront of internet technologies.
Only the Google campus in Stanford can rival such a network. Gigabit networks are often used to connect home computers, but the University of Twente is the first university to be able to offer the internet at this speed to its students and campus residents.
The gigabit network was constructed by ICTS, the university’s IT department, and Students Net Twente, a student association that manages large parts of the network.
Robert Dahmen, president of Students Net Twente, has been closely involved in the construction process: “The equipment for the 100 megabit network, which made us the fastest in the Netherlands ten years ago, needed replacing and so the SNT thought now would be the time to push the university to go for gigabit speed.”
According to Dahmen, the net effect of reliable gigabit speed is an even smoother internet experience. “Back in the early days, you used to have to wait three minutes for a YouTube video to start playing, even now it still takes a few seconds, but with a gigabit network the video starts playing immediately.” Large network sites can easily handle this speed. “And it’s not just YouTube. Facebook works faster too. Now you can upload photos and videos even quicker than before and navigate the rest of the site much more smoothly. Even boring things like Windows updates are significantly faster. "
The campus uses a fibre optic loop system to link all its buildings and neighbourhoods. Copper wires connect these nodes to the university buildings and student flats. “If you're unlucky enough to have a really long copper connection to your student room, you might not get the gigabit, but even in the worst case scenario, it'll still be considerably faster than the fastest internet connection somewhere else.”
Dahmen is quite clear on the subject of internet abuse. “There are strict rules regarding the use and content of the university network. The upload limit of 50 GB per week will be maintained and any complaints about illegal uploads will be treated seriously by SNT.”
