EDITORIAL: PennNet users should pay

Plans to phase out Penn's modem pool make financial and technological sense, and stand to benefit students. And one year after PennNet goes fee-for-service, the modem pool will be dismantled altogether. As of July 1, 2001, students living off campus will have to sign up with independent Internet service providers to get online. The two step phase-out of Penn's role as an ISP is a fair and equitable means of ensuring that students pay only for the services that they actually use; and of ensuring that students receive the highest quality of service for their money. At present, a part of the modem pool's $1 million annual cost is footed by on-campus residents. But students who live on campus don't use the dial-in modem pool. Asking off-campus residents to foot the bill in place of their on-campus peers will thus correct a long-standing inequity. And it is only fair that the money off-campus students pay for Internet access secures them the fastest possible connection speeds. Penn's modem pool is already outdated, supporting the transfer of data at a maximum speed of 33.6 kilobytes per second. Upgrading the modem pool to the current 56 kbps industry standard would cost almost $1 million. Over time, Penn would be forced to foot further bills for to keep the modem pool on the cutting edge. The University has already indicated its commitment to securing cut-rate ISP access plans. In doing so, Penn is again demonstrating its commitment to ensuring that students can access the Internet as cheaply as possible, as quickly as possible.