Wi-Fi expensive, but still coveted

October 27, 2011June 18, 2013 danalin

Many students often wonder why CVHS doesn’t have any Wi-Fi available. In fact, not only students but teachers are also often irritated with the absence of Wi-Fi on the campus.

One of the biggest reasons CVHS does not have Wi-Fi available on campus is its expense. Although Wi-Fi would be a great asset for CVHS to have, it also comes with a tremendous cost. According to Bruce Gidlund, the Director of Technology at the CVUSD, the budget cuts have been the main reason keeping CVHS from obtaining Wi-Fi access.

“With budget limitations during the last few years, there has not been adequate funding to embark on large projects such as Wi-Fi coverage for CVHS,” said Gidlund.

The price tag for installing Wi-Fi coverage on the CVHS campus would certainly be a hefty one, especially considering how large the CVHS campus is.

“I would love to have Wi-Fi! However with all the budget cuts that are happening right now, I think it might be hard,” said senior Kayla Ferrell.

“The cost of installing Wi-Fi for one single hallway could easily cost hundreds of dollars,” said computer teacher Chris Burns. As of now with all the budget cuts at the CVUSD, attaining Wi-Fi seems to be an unreachable goal.

However Burns thinks that having Wi-Fi access would be a remarkable tool for students. “The advantage of wireless Internet access is that it is more convenient, while a hard-wired LAN is faster and more secure,” he said.

Gidlund also stated that “the advantages of Wi-Fi include the opportunity to use a variety of hand-held devices, the flexibility of placing equipment without having to worry about data ports and cables, and the ability to move from one place to another without losing network connectivity.”

“I think we should have Wi-Fi,” said Ross Williams, a social studies teacher at CVHS. “Not every computer has a physical Internet connection.”

Certainly with how rapidly the technology is growing today, welcoming Wi-Fi access to the CVHS campus seems inevitable. “We would love to see this happen,” Gidlund said.