WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Purdue University is moving to block Netflix and other popular streaming services in classrooms in an attempt to focus on academics while reducing the university’s broadband usage.
The Journal & Courier reports that Purdue students returning from spring break on March 18 will no longer have access to bandwidth-consuming sites like Netflix, Steam, and Pandora. Social media sites won’t be blocked.
The university will create designated spaces in academic buildings where students can access the streaming sites.
Julie Kercher-Updike is the university’s deputy chief information officer. She says the change is “about making it so streaming doesn’t take away from giving academic resources first priority.”
The university tested filtering sites in the fall and spring that officials hoped would reduce the pressure on the university’s broadband service.
