Five residence halls will be wired for cable and Internet by this fall, Residence Hall Association President Randy Bomze said Wednesday night.

An outside contractor will begin wiring Kennedy Onassis, Guthridge, Munson, Strong and Fulbright halls the first week in March, Bomze said.

Room charges will increase 15 percent for students living in the residence halls next year, Bomze said, putting the cost of a spot in each hall at a little above $6,000.

Bomze said she learned of the University’s plan to wire the halls in a meeting earlier this week with David McElveen, associate director of student and academic support administrative services.

Bomze said the wiring plan will give each room in the five halls cable and Internet access and will provide phone lines for each student – a similar set-up to the one in New Hall. Electrical upgrades also are included in the plan to give the buildings the capacity to handle an increased technological load.

In addition to the 15 percent increase in room charges, Bomze said students could be charged a monthly fee for cable and Internet access. She said confusion still exists about the monthly fees, however.

Once the wiring is complete, the University may develop a system to allow students to forfeit access to the new technology, but Bomze said GW’s current concern is wiring the halls – an issue students have stressed this year.

Contractors will wire the halls throughout the remainder of the semester, working only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Bomze said. Workers will not enter residence hall rooms during spring break, final exams or midterms.