Purpose

Policy Statement

Telecommunications requests that use of all other 2.4 GHz devices be discontinued in college-owned buildings. In cases where the device is being used for a specific teaching or research application, Telecommunications will work with faculty to determine whether there are circumstances under which use of the device may still be accommodated without causing interference to the BSC wireless network.

Applies to

Responsibilities

The BSC wireless network uses the FCC unlicensed 2.4 GHz Industrial/Scientific/Medical (ISM) band. Transmissions within that band conform to the IEEE 802.11 DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum) wireless LAN specification. Certain other "wireless" devices exist in the market place that also employ the same 2.4 GHz frequency band and can cause interference to users of the wireless. These devices include, but are not limited to other IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN devices, cordless telephones, cameras, and audio speakers.

Telecommunications will approach the shared use of the 2.4 GHz radio frequency in the same way that it manages the shared use of the wired network. While we will not actively monitor use of the airspace for potential interfering devices, we will seek out the user of a specific device if we find that it is actually causing interference and disrupting the campus network. In these cases, Telecommunications reserves the right to restrict the use of all 2.4 GHz radio devices in college-owned buildings and all outdoor spaces on the Bridgewater State College Campus. See http://it.bridgew.edu/Policy/ResponsibleUse.cfm for information on the campus computing policies, including those related to responsible use of shared resources, such as the 2.4 GHz radio frequency in this case.

If you think you have an existing system that may use 2.4 GHz radios for transmission or you are planning to purchase a wireless system and you are uncertain if it employs 2.4 GHz radios, please contact Telecommunications at X1236. Telecommunications can assist in determining if such devices will cause interference to the BSC wireless network.