Ellington

Dropped cell-phone calls and static connections may be frustrations of the past as the UW transitions to autumn quarter.

Construction began in July on six new cell-phone towers across campus, and, beginning in September, sizable discounts will be available to select mobile subscribers. Many students and staff will no longer struggle with spotty reception offered by the lone AT&T cell-phone tower on campus, rooted atop BB Tower in the Health Sciences Center.

“As long as you’re on the edge of campus, you have pretty good coverage,” said David Morton, director of mobile communications for UW Technology. “Particularly, as you get inside a building or go underground, you have little to nonexistent coverage.”

By collaborating with providers T-Mobile and AT&T to install these new towers and improve reception, the UW seeks to cement enduring mobile partnerships rather than remain a static consumer of mobile technology. It wasn’t feasible to work with every vendor available, Morton said, and the two were selected via a request for information process.

“Since then, we’ve entered into new commercial agreements with them so that we have new discount levels for purchasing services for staff, employees and students,” Morton said.

Students subscribing to these providers will enjoy reductions in their monthly cell-phone statements for the first time. T-Mobile will offer a 15-percent monthly discount to university-paid faculty, staff and students. If the university foots the bill for AT&T subscribers, the vendor will extend a 21-percent discount. For personal use, faculty and staff will witness 18 percent in savings, while students receive 10 percent. Additionally, if a student registers for the AT&T plan, they will receive 200 text messages per month for free. Specific data bundles are also options for students.

As the new cell-phone towers are implemented across campus, the goal is to increase service for the university.

Morton said, “It doesn’t do any good if people can’t use your service on campus without adding additional sites for coverage.”

Both providers will attach antennas to Haggett Hall. T-Mobile will connect users from BB Tower, the Chemistry Building and Suzzallo Library, and AT&T is adding a site on the roof of Mary Gates Hall.

“[The buildings] have a lot of down tilts, so the antennas can either point straight out or point down toward the ground,” said Luke Peterson, the foreman working on installing the tower atop Suzzallo. “These will be pointed down quite a bit to get into buildings, so coverage will be, I think, significantly increased on the campus.”

UW Technology plans for the sites to be operational by the start of the school year.

The mobile partnership yields a financial incentive, as well. AT&T and T-Mobile are investing $2 million in the new infrastructure, while the university doesn’t pay a cent for the resulting improved coverage. The companies also funnel contributions, called an administrative fee, toward the UW, padding the school’s wallet with development dollars to fund such research as the UW’s iPhone and mobile application.

The venture is mutually beneficial.

“We’re helping the university as we develop products,” said Lisa Hoover, senior national account manager for T-Mobile. “If we need a group or a campus setting, then we can use the UW to test out [a product] ... before it goes to market.”

This move is a component of the UW Technology’s Strategic Mobile Initiative, which began two years ago to remedy the UW as a world-class mobile infrastructure and to support the school’s education and research missions. Before that program’s inception, vendors perpetually pestered the UW to install their towers on campus.

Morton viewed the partnership between the UW with AT&T and T-Mobile as more valuable than past offers.

“Just providing cell service to our students and faculty wasn’t a big enough reason to give [other providers] use of our real estate,” Morton said. “These additional partnerships make it worthwhile for the UW to put them on campus.”

Reach Features Editor Rachel Solomon at news@dailyuw.com.