Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
How many times have you been on the phone in the middle of a conversation when “Call was lost” flashed on your screen? Well, have no fear for you are not alone in your struggle to have a full conversation without being cut off. Now, how does the college plan to fix this problem? To find out, the Gazette asked Mark J. Dumic from the ITS phone division about the issue.
The college has been planning to replace the current phone system and since many students now use cell phones, ITS, along with a consulting firm called Compass Counseling, are working together on a project. One idea that was explored early on was the installation of a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) which would amplify the cell phone signals inside buildings. This is the same technology used in airports and hotels.
This option was last explored this spring but it was never pursued because there were a couple of obstacles. First, the college was not able to find any other school of equivalent size that uses this kind of technology. The closest one had cost nearly $1 million. The college did not pursue the matter further.
The issue was not pursued further after a few major cell phone providers announced the construction of cell phone towers within a quarter mile of the campus. Sprint’s tower is now operational and Cingulair’s tower will be operational by the end of this month. Unfortunately for those that use Verizon, the carrier has shown no interest in building a tower near Swarthmore. The college wants to see how significant the improvements of these new towers will be and judge from that whether or not the DAS is necessary.
Many students use Verizon but all are interested in better reception on campus. This is the reason the idea has not been completely tossed. However, Dumic reminds us that even if the DAS was to be installed on campus, it would not be a quick process. There would be much careful planning involved and this would take a good deal of time.
