Technology continues to improve and evolve at an incredibly fast pace, driving changes all across the world — and MSU is no exception.
MSU’s Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, or IPF, will be eliminating analog cable on campus starting Aug. 7 and will be more involved with interior design of buildings on campus beginning today.
“The entire country moved to digital over the air,” IPF Assistant Director of Telecommunication Systems Anne Phillips said. “We had to respond.”
Phillips is referring to the transition from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting, which is something that has been federally mandated and has been in the process for several years. However, Phillips said the government was not the driving force behind the switch.
“We had to move. The change was influenced by the government; however, it was mostly driven by technological advances,” Phillips said.
Phillips said campus infrastructures and distribution originally was altered to handle both digital and analog signals and moved from a coaxial backbone to a fiber optic system, making the television distribution on campus more flexible.
“We are able to support more channels and have a cleaner signal, as well as add an emergency banner to all channels,” Phillips said. “These changes were easier to implement over digital.”
Phillips said Residential and Hospitality Services, or RHS, is a major user of the campus cable network and would experience the most change, particularly in the residential halls and cafeterias.
Kat Cooper, communications manager for RHS, indicated that few students would be affected by the switch.
“Most of the students have purchased televisions since 2008, and those televisions are compatible with digital cable,” Cooper said.
Alexa Randolph, a communication sophomore, said that the changes are a benefit to the MSU community.
“I think the ability to broadcast an emergency banner on all channels is great,” said Randolph. “Especially for students who don’t watch local news or the weather much.”
IPF also is adding more interior design responsibilities for nonresidential buildings, after RHS saw a couple of its interior designers move to IPF.
“It makes sense to keep projects such as Brody (Complex) and Spartan Stadium tower that are affiliated with RHS within the department, and other projects go to IPF,” Cooper said. “It creates a more streamlined process.”
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