Category: Cloud & Infrastructure
Inside the Campus Network & Wi-Fi Upgrade Project
February 27, 2026 Written by Frank Handschuh
Building the Network UD Needs for the Future
In 2024, UD Information Technologies (UDIT) launched a multi-year initiative to modernize and optimize the campus network—one of the most critical foundations supporting teaching, research, and daily operations across the University.
This ambitious Network & Wi-Fi Upgrade Project is transforming wireless infrastructure across campus, ensuring the University community has access to high-bandwidth, low-latency, and resilient connectivity—now and well into the future.
Why this project matters
As academic instruction, research computing, cloud services, and connected devices continue to grow, so do the demands placed on the campus network. Legacy infrastructure in many buildings was no longer positioned to support:
Increasing wireless device density
Modern collaboration and hybrid learning tools
Data-intensive research workloads
Evolving security and reliability expectations
This project directly addresses those challenges by upgrading the network from the inside out—access points, switching, cabling, and core infrastructure—building a platform designed for scale and longevity.
Optimizing network utilization enables the University to control costs today while avoiding avoidable expenditures tomorrow. Through smarter capacity planning and efficient use of existing resources, UDIT is extending the lifespan of network investments, reducing redundant upgrades, and creating a more sustainable, cost-effective foundation for future growth.
Key accomplishments so far
Since the project began in January 2024, the Network Team has made significant progress.
Replacement of legacy Wi-Fi access points in many classrooms and non-residence hall buildings, improving coverage, performance, and reliability.
Planned and executed network upgrades for residence halls, with construction coordinated around academic and residential schedules.
Phased building prioritization, allowing upgrades to be delivered strategically across campus over multiple years.
Each upgrade is carefully planned to minimize disruption, with multi-hour outages communicated in advance and coordinated closely with departmental IT partners. To facilitate a seamless upgrade process, UDIT conducts comprehensive pre-construction surveys, including wireless coverage analysis, infrastructure assessments, and network port utilization reviews.
New technology powering the upgrade
At the heart of this effort is a shift toward modern, high-performance networking technologies designed to meet today’s and tomorrow’s needs. Highlights include:
Newer-generation Wi-Fi access points delivering higher throughput, better roaming, and improved device handling.
Optimized network infrastructure to support increased speeds and redundancy.
Updated switching and supporting systems that reduce latency and improve fault tolerance.
Reduced demand for network switches across campus by transitioning users to Wi-Fi.
A design approach focused on scalability, security, and long-term maintainability.
These improvements aren’t just incremental—they represent a meaningful leap forward in how the campus network performs under real-world demand.
Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 enhancements include:
Installation of Aruba Wi-Fi 6 access points to improve wireless coverage and performance.
Conversion of 2-pair wiring to 4-pair wiring to support 1–2.5 Gb connectivity.
Installation of Cat6A Ethernet cabling to enable up to 10-Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.
Upgrade of in-building and external fiber from multimode to single-mode fiber, increasing capacity from 1-Gigabit to 100-Gigabit+.
Upgrade of network switches to support 100-Gigabit building connectivity (previously 10-Gigabit).
We have already completed major upgrades in the following buildings: Independence Hall, James Smith Hall, Thomas McKean Hall, George Reed Hall, Morris Library, 501 South College Ave, Ewing Hall, Kirkbride, Sharp Lab, Townsend Hall, Carpenter Sports Building, Alison Hall, Alison Hall West, Robinson Hall, Pearson Hall, Brown Lab, McDowell Hall, Lerner Hall, Old College, Recitation Hall, Harker Lab, Penny Hall, Mitchell Hall, Willard Hall, Smith Hall, Memorial Hall, Purnell Hall, Gore Hall, Kent Hall, Brown Hall, Laurel Hall, Wolf Hall, Colburn Lab, Academy Street, 200, Spencer Laboratory, Smith Hall, Sharp Hall, Graham Hall.
A collaborative achievement
The success of the Network & Wi-Fi Upgrade Project is the result of collaboration across UDIT. Network engineers and architects, Network & Infrastructure Services (NIS), field services staff, project managers, communications teams, and departmental IT professionals have all played essential roles.
From early planning and building surveys to after-hours cutovers and on-site installations, the work requires deep technical expertise, coordination, and flexibility. The success of each phase reflects the collective effort and commitment of UDIT staff working behind the scenes to keep the University connected.
What’s next
The Network & Wi-Fi Upgrade Project will continue over multiple years, with additional campus buildings scheduled in future phases. As the project progresses, UDIT will continue to:
Communicate planned work and expected impacts in advance
Coordinate closely with campus partners
Apply lessons learned from earlier phases to streamline future upgrades
Conduct post-installation surveys to gather client feedback on their impressions of the building’s network upgrade.
This work is foundational—and while much of it happens out of sight, its impact is felt every day by students, faculty, researchers, and staff across UD.
Be on the lookout for communications from UDIT concerning upcoming upgrades.
Questions for the Network Upgrades project team should be directed to UDIT-Network-Wifi-Upgrade-Project@udel.edu.
Thank you to everyone across UDIT who has contributed to this ongoing effort to modernize the University’s network and position UD for continued success. We also thank the UD community and our clients for their patience and partnership as we worked through temporary disruptions.