Unified Network Phase I and II
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY At the request of the chairpersons of the Select Committee on Legislative Technology and Process, the Department of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) is providing an update on the progress related to the Unified Network. Unified Network Simply put, the Unified Network project is about leveraging the State’s education and government broadband demands to promote the growth of capacity for all of Wyoming and enhance private investment in broadband infrastructure without fear of the State as competition. We are a customer working alongside communities and businesses to justify future infrastructure enhancements by private businesses with an opportunity for return on investment from the over 800 State sites. It is NOT about the State bypassing industry or building its own fiber. In the limited area where we needed fiber, we leased from our partners (Figure 1). In the limited area where the State owns fiber, we are discussing how to best leverage it without further builds. In the areas where we need connections between core cities, we will contract with our private partners to ride on their bandwidth. Figure 1 Phase I Success Criteria:
Phase II Success Criteria:
Work on the Unified Network is well underway. Phase I began July 1, 2013, as the State began new negotiations and contracts on individual circuits with multiple service providers. Through these new contracts the State has increased the average per-student capacity by over 700% while staying under budget. The proposed budget for the Unified Network is approximately $16 million in a one time ask. It should be noted the enhancements to the Unified Network are intended to raise the capacity and scalability across the State with identified impact on annual support costs. Phase I has been made possible through a change in the contract vehicle used to obtain broadband services throughout Wyoming. In the past, the State has used a single contract for providing broadband to the schools throughout Wyoming. Our new approach allows us to contract with each vendor in Wyoming to:
Phase I Timeline
Phase 2 Perspective Timeline
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND OTHER PRIORITY EFFORTS IN PROGRESS: Once connected by a redundant ring to Denver, the State will be able to participate in Internet2 and the National LambdaRail. Wyoming will also be able to increase its Internet connectivity by partnering with providers at the Gigapop in addition to our current partners. The University of Wyoming has been using this service and has not had an Internet outage in over five (5) years. Several Point to Point (P2P) wireless units have been deployed for testing in various locations with promising test results. As ETS continues to make progress in the development of the Unified Network, additional testing and evaluation will be required before other specific architecture decisions are made. This technology is being assessed for broadband connectivity where construction is difficult and to provide backup or emergency connectivity due to accidental fiber cuts. |