Duke U. Set to Launch World's Largest 802.11n Wireless Network
As part of an effort to bring increased mobility to its campus, Duke University, in conjunction with Cisco, is ready to deploy a campus-wide 802.11n wireless network that will feature more than 2,500 Wi-Fi-certified Cisco 802.11n Aironet 1250 Series access points. Covering 6 million square feet of its downtown Durham, N.C. campus, Duke's network will be the largest and one of the first of its kind in the world.
802.11n technology increases both the speed and reliability of traditional networks. 802.11n can achieve a maximum data rate of 248 Mbits/s while its predecessors 802.11b and 802.11g have max rates of 11 Mbits/s and 54 Mbits/s respectively. 802.11n also offers nearly twice the range of the previous standards.
With 45,000 students "wireless on our campus is absolutely critical to [Duke's] 24-by-7 population," according to Duke chief information officer Tracey Futhey, who also believes "universities are an ideal testing ground for new technologies, especially wireless uses and devices, because students are spending their entire day on campus in a mobile manner. They live, learn, work and play on campus."
In addition to benefiting the campus population, 802.11n also supports Duke's Digital Initiative, a multimodal "classroom of tomorrow" and collaborative group study project currently under construction at the Perkins Library. Video applications will become more pervasive with streaming audio, video and high-definition TV (HDTV) over Wi-Fi. This could serve as a model for other instituions across the country.
[via MC Press and Wikipedia (802.11n figures)]
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