The three hundred residents of student housing complex Winschoterdiep have had to do without reliable Wi-Fi for months now, they say. Complaining to landlord SSH hasn’t had any effect so far.
The building’s Wi-Fi is very slow and often doesn’t work at all. Outages can last whole days, says Katarina (19), a first-year student of international and European law. ‘It’s common for people to ask in the group chat: how’s the Wi-Fi? Should I stay at the library?’ If they want to study or have to work on an assignment, most of them go to the Forum or the UB.
The residents, all international students, pay 8.20 euros a month for their internet connection. According to Katarina, the Wi-Fi has been bad since she moved in, in September.
No reply
Her almost-namesake Katrina Cassar (19), first-year in international relations and international organisation, tested the Wi-Fi speed on Wednesday morning and noted a download speed of 0.39 Megabit per second (Mbps) and an upload speed of 18,4 Mbps. To compare: a test at the UKrant premises resulted in speeds of 233 and 320 Mbps, respectively.
Cassar emailed the SSH several times to get them to fix the Wi-Fi, but she never got a reply. Another resident shared in the group chat that she had lodged fifteen tickets asking for someone to come fix it.
According to Katarina, communicating with the SSH is always a pain, even when it’s about regular maintenance. ‘It’s difficult to contact them and have a conversation. I just want a landlord to maintain the daily stuff.’
Technical problem
An SSH spokesperson says that they are aware of the problems with the Wi-Fi and that they’re working on it. ‘It takes time because of a technical problem.’ She can’t say how much time, exactly.
As for the regular maintenance, the SSH is going to talk to the contractors they hire to do that, the spokesperson says. Residents can come to the building manager’s office if they have any problems or questions, she stresses. ‘They are always always welcome to talk with us during working hours.’