The university no longer charges for data plans.  This article is historical.

The previous approach was chosen because it aligns with the university’s core values and ensures:

• academic needs are met
• students are free to pursue their interests
• the university is not liable for student activities
• the university has complied with Higher Education Opportunity Act 2008 requirements
• This approach is net neutral. The university does not block, throttle, or limit access to any Internet sites or services.

History

1999 Residential network begins charging for access
2002 Public networks limit speed of connections to 1.5 Mbps per user
2003 Residential network offers tiered data plans
2005 Student default allocation of 500 MB/week introduced (no more speed limits)
2005 Public networks offer $5/GB purchase option
2009 Public networks offer data plans starting at $10/semester for 4 GB/week
2010 Public networks offer data plans starting at $6/semester for 5 GB/week
2011 Public networks offer data plans starting at $5/semester for 5 GB/week
2013 Public networks offer data plans starting at $4.25/semester for 5 GB/week
2014 Public networks offer data plans starting at $3/semester for 10 GB/week
2015 Student default allocation increased to 1 GB/week
2018 Charging for data plans retired