Click to return to CIT home page

Message from John Bucher, Director of CIT/Chief Technology Officer:

This message explains the current and near-future situation with regard to Oberlin College’s connection speed (i.e. bandwidth) to the Internet.

Quick summary: We know the College’s Internet connection can be very slow at times, and we’re doing something about it. Our connection speed will be doubled sometime within the next few weeks, from 90 megabits per second (Mbps) to approximately 180 Mbps (200 Mps minus required operational overhead). We expect this will occur early this semester. The increase results from contract negotiations we started with Time Warner Cable last fall, and signed in the spring. The agreement provides a fiber link, allowing for a future growth capability of up to 10 times what we have now (up to one gigabit per second). This scalable growth potential uses a tiered bandwidth subscription model, i.e., it is dependent upon our expressed need and available funding. This should serve Oberlin’s needs for the next few years.

The story: Ever-increasing bandwidth is a fact of the Internet age. We went from a 45 Mbps connection in the fall of 2006, to 75 Mbps in the fall of 2008, then rose to our cap of 90 Mbps last January (on two DS3 lines - see below). Our ability to easily and economically increase bandwidth has been hindered by the lack of commercially available leased fiber in Lorain County. Unlike most large metropolitan areas, where leased fiber is plentiful, we have had to purchase dedicated lines, called Digital Service 3s (DS3s). (A DS3 line is a high-speed connection, generally carried over copper coaxial cable. It is equal to approximately 672 regular voice-grade telephone lines.) DS3 lines are relatively expensive, carry a maximum of 45 Mbps, and often require long lead times for installation. These DS3 lines (and soon, our Time Warner Cable fiber connection) connect to OARnet, the state network run by the Ohio Super Computer Center, which then connects to the Internet. When the gigabit fiber connection is in place, we will start with a 200 Mbps connection (approximately 180 Mbps, as noted above) to the Internet and we will be able to quickly increase our speed in increments of 200 Mbps, mainly dependent upon need and funding.

The new fiber cable is currently being run along the back roads of Lorain County and, as with any construction project, delays may be encountered due to administrative requirements (such as obtaining permits), or unforeseen site conditions. Be assured, CIT has been working very hard to get this effort finalized. We are optimistic the construction will be completed soon and we are looking forward to fast and reliable network speeds in the near term. We also thankfully acknowledge the cooperation and assistance from the Oberlin Cable Co-op in this project.

Until we actually acquire the additional capability, it would be a good practice for all college network users to conserve bandwidth to the greatest extent possible. This can be done by minimizing downloads of large files (music/video), or to conduct these efforts during times when the network is the least busy (late evening/early morning). Thank you for your patience while we work to conclude this effort, and please contact us at cit@oberlin.edu if you'd like more information.

I