Jumping on the (Broad) Bandwagon: Vernon Draper
In the face of modern society's ever-increasing need for more gigabytes and higher megabits, major telecommunication companies are closely watching the development of new wireless broadband technology such as WiM
AX (or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). Vernon Draper, assistant director of computing, networking and communications integration at Ball State, as well as the university's
Office of Information Technology (IT) and
Center for Information and Communication Sciences (CICS) are at the forefront of this emerging technology's design and testing. So far, research has determined that WiMAX equipment is far superior at obtaining a consistent and usable mobile wireless signal from significantly more distant, obstructed, and/or non-line-of-sight locations than more traditional point-to-multipoint technology—meaning, potentially, that telecommunications companies adopting WiMAX may in the future be able to better serve more mobile customers (especially in rural and underserved areas) using a less costly, integrated infrastructure. Draper is particularly knowledgeable on the subject, having experience in wireless communications technology spanning nearly four decades, including the landmark
Digital Middletown project that tested the value and impact of high bandwidth wireless technology and the sociological significance of emerging technologies in small town America. His expertise also played a primary role in Ball State being recognized as the
No. 1 wireless campus in the nation by Intel Corporation in 2005. Contact
Vernon Draper at 765-285-3043.