|
news
Campus
phones losing to cellular
By Heather Clarke
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
As the number of
cell phone users increases exponentially, Campus Telecommunications,
the telephone service provider for Cal State Long Beach, has
been progressively losing student clients over the last three
years.
This year there was a 40 percent decline in students who used
Campus Telecommunications for their phone service and a 22
percent decrease the year before said Char Hankey, the director
of telecommunications at CSULB.
Campus Tel mainly attributes the decline in campus phone use
to the huge amount of people who own cell phones as well as
those who use phone cards, Hankey said. Out of the 1800 students
that resided on campus this year, a little less than 600 used
Campus Tel said Pam Petrov, resale operations coordinator.
Heidi Holton, a junior residence assistant in Residence Commons,
said she hasn’t used Campus Tel since she was a freshman.
She said she prefers using a calling card because it is cheaper
for her.
Kiri Knutson, a senior at CSULB, said she didn’t use Campus
Tel when she lived in the dorms this past year because she
already had a cell phone and it was simpler and more economical
for her.
Though Campus Tel users are steadily diminishing, both Hankey
and Petrov have made it clear that there are no plans to change
or cut the phone service available for students living on
campus. Hankey said that Campus Tel would continue to provide
this service for those that don’t have the luxury of a cell
phone.
”We’re not in the business to make a profit, we’re strictly
here to serve students and faculty,” Petrov said.
There has been shrinkage in campus pay phone use as well,
according to Hankey. There is no longer as much money to purchase
and maintain the pay phones she said.
“The other day I’m planning and scheming in my head,” Hankey
said. “And I see there is a student on his cell phone in front
of a bank of pay phones.”
She said it was possible the number of pay phones in a given
area would need to be decreased but all areas of the campus
would still be covered.
“We have excellent coverage. There is no area that lacks [payphones],”
Hankey said.
No changes have been made concerning campus pay phones at
this point. Hankey said Campus Telecommunications is doing
a study and referred to it as a summer project.
“We are taking our time and consulting with the various areas
involved” Hankey said.
She explained that they work closely with the campus police
to ensure everyone has access to the police. The free emergency
phones on campus are meant to complement the pay phones for
this reason.
Although Campus Telecommunications has not decided on a course
of action concerning the lack of money coming in for the pay
phones, Hankey said they would continue to provide some type
of phone service to cover the entire campus. She said that
they will approach the project from different perspectives
and must keep in mind that many people have a cell phone that
is closer than the closest pay phone.
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Search our site
DEPARTMENT
OF
JOURNALISM
ONLINE 49ER
DEPARTMENTS
ADVERTISING
ADMINISTRATION
DAILY
49ER ALUMNI
SUBSCRIPTION
SERVICE
GIVE
FEEDBACK
|
