Purdue University/Mark Simons
Asumag 9249 Purdueentrance 0
Asumag 9249 Purdueentrance 0
Asumag 9249 Purdueentrance 0
Asumag 9249 Purdueentrance 0
Asumag 9249 Purdueentrance 0

Purdue blocks Netflix, other streaming services from academic spaces

March 19, 2019
The university imposed the ban because video-watching students were consuming so much WiFi bandwidth in classes that academic applications were unusable.

Faced with an overburdened WiFi network that inhibited student access during classes, Purdue University has decided to block Netflix and other popular streaming video sites in all of its academic buildings on the West Lafayette, Ind., campus.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the university acted after some faculty complained that the network had become so slow that academic applications were unusable during class.

“There’s a finite amount of bandwidth available,” says Mark Sonstein, the university’s executive director of information technology infrastructure. “If you have people who are streaming a movie, then they are consuming all of the available bandwidth.”

Purdue started last fall by blocking Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Pandora, iHeartRadio, the gaming platform Steam and Apple software updates in a few large lecture halls; then it expanded the ban to several academic buildings.

This week, students have returned from spring break, and the policy went campuswide. Student centers, residence halls and common areas of academic buildings are exempt. Purdue’s other campuses in Indiana are not affected by the new policy.

So far, university officials say they haven’t received any complaints. 

“I heard about the bandwidth problem, but when the solution was implemented, I heard crickets,” says Steve Beaudoin, a chemical engineering professor whose building was one of the first to block streaming sites.

Purdue appears to be one of the first colleges in the nation to resort to this kind of technological barrier, even though it’s common in secondary schools and corporate offices

One institution that has curtailed online access is the law school at the University of Chicago. Since 2008, it has shut off WiFi in the classroom wing to encourage student attention and engagement.

Professor Saul Levmore says the blocked access has become an accepted norm among students, though with today’s smartphones capable of acting as internet hot spots, “if they want to check Wikipedia or something, they can do so.”

Purdue decided to take action after a study found that only 4 percent of its traffic was academic, and 34 percent was consumed by streaming services and gaming.

The problem became so extreme that Purdue students sometimes had difficulty turning in their homework online or using apps designed for the classroom, Sonstein says.

“We have a system here where students can answer questions (electronically), and professors can collect answers and then talk them through,” he says. “A professor would decide not to use it because they can’t rely on the bandwidth.”

Sponsored Recommendations

How to design flexible learning spaces that teachers love and use

Unlock the potential of flexible learning spaces with expert guidance from school districts and educational furniture providers. Discover how to seamlessly integrate adaptive ...

Blurring the Lines in Education Design: K–12 to Higher Ed to Corporate America

Discover the seamless integration of educational and corporate design principles, shaping tomorrow's leaders from kindergarten to boardroom. Explore innovative classroom layouts...

Room to Learn: Furniture Solutions for Education

Preparing students for the future. Utilizing our experience in the education market, we offer a dynamic selection of products that pair technology with furniture to help stimulate...

Transforming Education: A Case Study in Progressive Classroom Design

Discover how Workspace Interiors and the Baldwin School District reshaped learning environments in Long Island, New York, creating pedagogically responsive spaces that foster ...