Ultra-fast Internet Welcomes University of Mississippi Community, Rebel Fans to New Arena
"This evolution of technology in daily life and social organization has led to the fact that the modernization of information and communication processes has become the driving force of social evolution." - Digital technology and social change expert Martin Hilbert
Oxford, Miss. (November 11, 2015) – That statement is perhaps nowhere more true than on the University of Mississippi campus, where technology abounds among students, many of whom carry three or more electronic devices everywhere they go.
Laptops have replaced three-ring binders for organizing class notes, homework is paperless and assignments are submitted wirelessly. Students exchange ideas with teachers and peers via bits and bytes of information transmitted through iPads. Conversations take place by cellphone, not in calls, but in texts, tweets and even labeled images.
Wi-Fi access is no longer simply a convenience if available; it's a necessity for the nearly 25,000 students, faculty and staff, along with hundreds of thousands of visitors to the 840-acre campus. When students need to access information and communicate with their academic community, instant connectivity is expected.
In response to the university's growing need for high-speed access, C Spire is partnering with the Ole Miss Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and IMG, the university's multimedia rights partner, to establish the C Spire Speedzone – a 1 Gigabit-per-second fiber optic-enabled Wi-Fi network in the mezzanine and lobby area of The Pavilion at Ole Miss, the school's new basketball arena.
"The C Spire Speedzone will offer students unparalleled connectivity speeds while they hang out, study, stream music and movies, enjoy gaming and more," said Michael Thompson, UM senior associate athletics director for communications and marketing.
The Speedzone, which is expected to be ready in time for the opening of the multipurpose arena in January, will feature Rebel Wi-Fi powered by C Spire, giving students and fans the fastest available fiber optic connectivity and Internet experience on game days and throughout the week, Thompson said.
"The Speedzone delivers tomorrow's technology today to an area that is quickly becoming a very busy part of campus," said Hu Meena, president and CEO for C Spire. "We are supporting the Ole Miss community by accelerating the flow of information. We're excited about the future and the opportunities we expect this high-tech infrastructure will unlock for students and, on game days, Rebel fans. The possibilities and opportunities with this type of next-generation gathering place are limited only by our imagination."
The space itself will be highly contemporary, featuring digital displays of Ole Miss sports Twitter feeds, other social media content and traditional news feeds. All furnishings are power port-enabled, allowing students to sit down, plug in and have instant high-speed Internet access using their electronic devices and laptop computers. C Spire will have a physical presence in the Speedzone with a kiosk of communications and technology products and services.
"We want the C Spire Speedzone to become a second student union, where students feel comfortable and take ownership of the space," said Keith Carter, senior associate athletics director for development and executive director of the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation.
About Ole Miss Athletics Foundation
The Ole Miss Athletics Foundation is the fundraising department of Ole Miss athletics and provides resources for student-athletes through scholarships, facilities, coaches' compensation and other areas of the programs. For more information about the foundation and its initiatives, visit www.givetoathletics.com or call 662-915-7159.
About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides customer-inspired wireless communications, 1-gigabit consumer Internet access and a full suite of Internet, wireless and data services for businesses. This news release and other announcements are available at http://www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit http://www.cspire.com or follow the company on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cspire.
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