The University of Auckland gives free internet access to students, but its speed is capped. You can purchase a premium package for $20 for the year to upgrade to “high speed” – but is it worth it?
Yes. I bought my upgrade the first time I used the computers on campus, that’s how bad it is without upgrading. It’s now well into the semester and I had forgotten how slow the capped, non-premium internet actually is, until I was in the Geography lab working with another student on their computer, wondering why Facebook was taking so long to load. (Okay, so I wasn’t “working,” but you get the idea).
It only took me short while to realise it was because she didn’t have the premium upgrade. But that got me thinking, why anyone wouldn’t pay the $20 for the year, to guarantee your first 200mb each month are delivered swiftly.
For me, it’s a no-brainer. Once I became accustomed to fast internet (not that my home internet is even very fast by absolute standards!) I became addicted, and nothing less will suffice, especially when it only costs ~17c per day of semester.
Some people claim that unlimited internet access should be free for all students, and some qualify that by suggesting acceptable use policies. But to have a day’s worth of high-speed, for less than the cost of a text message – surely you can’t complain about that?
