The bandwidth, which measures the speed with which information is transmitted through the network, will be increased from three to six megabits per second. The College will also maintain a direct connection to the University of Massachusetts with a capacity of 1.5 megabits per second to accommodate Five-College traffic.
"We hope it's going to allow people to get their academic work done and done well," Director of Information Technology Phil Fitz said.
Fitz added that, while he is hoping to have the improvements completed before students return in January for the start of the second semester, the process may not be finished until February.
"We should see a noticeable improvement after break," Information Technology Policy Committee Student Representative Arthur Lord '03 said. "It shows that students, faculty and the administration are on the same page regarding the importance of a fast-paced Internet connection at Amherst."
Fitz said that the improvements will add $32,000 a year to the $35,000 the College currently spends on Internet service.
Although the College upgraded the bandwidth from one and a half to three megabits per second last August, Fitz said the network reached its capacity quickly because many frustrated students who had stopped using the network due to its slow speed began to use it again. Fitz added that in the fall of 1999 the College only had the bandwidth of three-fourths megabits per second, and since then the network has doubled its capacity every six months.
"Trying to use the Internet at this school is extremely slow. I try to use my computer to check my email for my classes in the morning and I end up going to class without doing it because it is so slow," Sarah Bergman '04 said.
But Beatriz Wallace '04 disagreed. "It's really not that bad," she said.
In an effort to combat the problem further, the College is planning to hire a network specialist, Fitz said.
"Part of the problem is that we have no one on staff to monitor traffic," he said. "A network specialist will bring in tools to make sure everything is working properly." Fitz added that the network specialist will help enforce the College's ban on Napster use.
Fitz added that, while the College banned the use of Napster and other such programs last August, many students have found ways to avoid the relatively simple block and access the programs anyway.