Student Housing Guidance Section held a briefing about the renovation of the web and telephone services of the girl’s dorms on September 11 at Student Activities Center. This (2006) school year, the web and telephone services in Song Tao Dorm and Chih Chian Dorm will be provided by a out-of-campus company. Section Chief Fu Kuo-liang indicates that “the web services in the dorms include both wire and wireless webs. As telephones are installed to the dorms, every room will be facilitated with one telephone and separate phone number. The total web-facilitation of the dorms is scheduled to be completed next year.”

Last November, the telephone operation room in Song Tao Dorm had a fire accident, which caused the suspension of telephone service in the dorm. The Internet service of the girl’s dorms used to be operated by TKU Information Processing Center. Heavy Internet traffic and virus attack often menaced the users. To overcome the problems, the school authority decides to commission both services to SPARQ Company. “As to the telephone service, tele-communication within the dorm will be reached by digitting 2+ room number; a separate phone number is for call from outside. Both inside and outside calls, including emergency call, are operated directly. As to the web service, every room is facilitated separately with individual bandwidth, so that traffic jams and group virus menace can be prevented. Besides, wireless web is also available in the dorms” SPARQ Manager, Hsung Hang-sheng explains their services. In addition, SPARQ will coordinate with school to offer internet checking for accommodation information such as name list and room number.

Responding to the recent change, Wang Hsueh-ling, a sophomore of English Department, questions that “since the payment for web service in both Song Tao Dorm and Chih Chian Dorm is the same, I wonder why the bandwidth in Chih Chian is 8M, while that in Song Tao is only 2M?” Section Chief Fu explains that “because every lodger of the room is contracted to pay for the “2M/640K” bandwidth of service, and every room in Chih Chian Dorm contains more tenants (6) than that in Song Tao Dorm (4), to make an equal average shared bandwidth will require a 3M installment for the former. Since 3M bandwidth is not available in ADSL, the company decides to offer 8M bandwidth for Chih Chian Dorm.”

There are some lodgers complaining about the inconvenience caused by the installment of the facilities, since it begins after the semester starts. Chief Fu explains that the installment is postponed because the deal of the contract is not settled until the semester begins. Up to the present, all hardware installments are completed, and the lodgers one by one can enjoy a period of free services, since the rent is counted from October 1. (~ Chen Chi-szu )