The time has come. Georgetown has entered the Digital Age.

Since 2006, the lack of campus-wide Wi-Fi has been a frustrating reminder of the university’s technological deficiencies. Now, the newly implemented SaxaNet service can be accessed in all residence halls and academic buildings. For this long-overdue milestone, the administration should be applauded.

The handling of the new system’s arrival has not been entirely graceful, however. Wireless access is still spotty on campus — students have had trouble connecting in some rooms in Healy Hall, for instance. Additionally, having both SaxaNet and the old HOYAS network available in areas like theLeavey Center during the transition has puzzled many students, permitting them to stick withHOYAS rather than make the full switch to SaxaNet. UIS will phase out HOYAS as time goes on, but in a transitional period already beset by hiccups, a wholesale shift to SaxaNet would have been more effective.

The main complaints regarding the new wireless on campus, however, have been directed towardUIS. The new technology has and will continue to add to the UIS workload, especially as upperclassmen familiar with the HOYAS of yesteryear find difficulty making the switch. So far, UIShas proven unprepared to deal with this influx of questions and concerns. After years of planning for this move, the university ought to have ensured it had the troubleshooting skills and resources ready to jump any technological hurdles quickly. Even something as simple as posting guides or FAQs to the new setup in key locations across campus could have cleared the air of any frustration. Sending an email giving students the rundown on a new wireless network is no help if students can’t connect to the wireless network in the first place.

In the long term, students, faculty and staff will be satisfied with the wireless now available across the Hilltop. As with many major changes at Georgetown, however, the trouble comes in the transition. Growing pains (and patience) should be expected, but before we dive into the fast-paced semester to come, here’s hoping UIS tightens up its loosely conducted entrance into the cyber age.