Reliable Wi-Fi is something all modern-day students expect from their place of learning, but when connectivity falls short, students often manage on their own, which leaves universities unaware of how often problems occur and results in campus IT teams having an incomplete picture of connectivity problems, according to research from Boldyn Networks.
Moreover, as it revealed the hidden side of campus connectivity, the 2026 student connectivity experience report highlighted how support tickets only tell part of the story – behind the metrics are students navigating onboarding frustrations, coverage gaps, unreliable connections and device issues that can disrupt academic work and daily campus life.
The study surveyed 1,038 college students at public and private universities in the US, with respondents sourced via an online panel in September 2026. Overall, it set out to find how students respond to network challenges, what influences their support decisions and where institutions have opportunities to improve the connected experience.
Students now consider reliable internet access to be nearly as important as quality academics and campus safety, and more important than social connection. That importance becomes even clearer when they imagine going without it.
One of the topline findings was the growing challenge universities face in trying to improve campus connectivity with limited resources and an incomplete picture of student needs. Almost all students (93%) say losing internet access for several hours would be an inconvenience, and more than half (53%) say it would significantly disrupt their day.
Students in residence halls expect a like-home connectivity experience as they use the internet for schoolwork, entertainment and everyday life. They bring, on average, 5.4 connected devices with them. Nearly all bring a phone and laptop, but many also have smart devices, tablets, streaming TVs, gaming consoles and other connected technology. And they expect those devices to work together. Some 97% expect to connect at least two devices simultaneously, with 50% wanting to connect three or more.
Connectivity may be essential, but disruptions are still a routine part of the student experience – 9% have issues on a daily basis, 23% weekly, 30% a few times a month, and 25% less than once a month. Only 14% reported never having an issue.
While 86% of students had experienced connectivity issues on campus in the past year, only one in five said they contact campus IT or technical support when their connectivity fails. In addition, nearly two-thirds (65%) switch to cellular data or a personal hotspot, while 58% wait for the problem to resolve. Others ask a friend for help (22%) or simply give up on what they were trying to do (23%).
Such workarounds, warned neutral host provider Boldyn, could leave campus IT teams with an incomplete picture of the problems students face, making it harder to address issues before they lead to complaints or affect satisfaction with the wider university experience.
“A quiet IT helpdesk does not necessarily mean that students are having a good experience. Many are finding their own solutions to problems so they can get on with their schoolwork or socialise with their friends and family. However, those solutions might not be optimal, and some students are left feeling frustrated or stressed when unable to access reliable services or responsive support teams,” noted Matt Loecke, senior vice-president for higher education at Boldyn Networks.
“What campus IT teams need is a clearer view of that experience to make better decisions about where to put their time and budget. Making help easier to find, alongside monitoring for problems proactively, can help them address situations sooner.”
