Advanced Networking and Effective Practices

Over the last decade, advanced networking became an indispensable component of academic life. From research and learning applications to the general explosion of Web-based communications, the need for high-performance network connectivity is paramount. At University of British Columbia (UBC), an emerging connectivity deficit stemming from inadequate campus-wide planning between "have" and "have not" departments and newer and older facilities posed concerns for students, faculty, and staff. The University Network Program (UNP) was established to advance a comprehensive strategy for renewing, expanding, and sustaining a future-oriented network presence across the 1,000 acre UBC campus. The solution called for an end-to-end connectivity service to permanently supplant the existing fragmentary networks dotting the campus.