Maximizing Internet Connectivity for Education

1. Maximizing Internet Connectivity for Education • David Olson, Network Architect, MOREnet • Elwood Downing, VP Member Relations, Merit Network • Mike Richardson, Director, REMC 1/Copper Country Intermediate School District, Michigan • Sheri Prupis, Director Educational Technology Initiatives, NJEDge.Net • Matthew Conforth, Director Educational TechnologyPassaic Valley Regional High School, New Jersey

2. Network Infrastructure • Leveraging Resources and Lowering CostStatewide and Regional Collaborations • Local CollaborationsUsing Internet Connectivity for K-12 • Collaboration, Resource, and Knowledge Sharing in Action! Passaic Valley High School

3. MOREnet MOREnet operates a 1200-mile dark fiber backbone with 4 major hubs and 30+ access nodes in the state. Our 700+ members with 1,100+ sites are connected using T-1, NxT-1 IMA, DS-3 and Ethernet services from carriers. Our challenge: Member bandwidth demands constantly increase (48% from Jan ‘11 – Jan ‘12); funding is flat or decreasing…carriers still charge by the bit…and E-Rate makes us do the cheap thing, not the smart thing.

4. MOREnet MOREnet operates a 1200-mile dark fiber backbone with 4 major hubs and 30+ access nodes in the state. Our 700+ members with 1,100+ sites are connected using T-1, NxT-1 IMA, DS-3 and Ethernet services from carriers. Our challenge: Member bandwidth demands constantly increase (48% from Jan ‘11 – Jan ‘12); funding is flat or decreasing…carriers still charge by the bit…and E-Rate makes us do the cheap thing, not the smart thing.

5. How are we solving the problem? • Invest in network facilities • Build fiber, wireless networks • Overprovision – cheaper to limit bandwidth use now than build more capacity • Targeting 10/100/1000M connections • However, E-Rate rules make this financially difficult

6. How are we solving the problem? • Forge alliances with alternate providers • Build new service models that are mutually beneficial • Look at alternate/regional providers; municipal fiber…whoever has assets • Network growth will become a patchwork quilt of providers – necessary to manage cost while providing needed bandwidth

7. MOREnet Fiber Collaborations • Municipal fiber: If they’ll build it, we’ll use it • MOREnet is often the ‘anchor tenant’ • BIP/BTOP funded providers • Very mixed bag • Regional aggregation • Get the traffic on-net sooner • More access to regional/local providers

8. Pursuing projects that enhance the value of our investment • Expanding the MOREnet backbone • Looking to add ~1600 miles, 40 more nodes • Get traffic on-net as quickly as possible • Using WiMax, LTE, and digital microwave as last-mile technology • Costs have dropped, reliability has gone up • Can install 100M PtP radio for ~2xT-1 circuit cost over 3 years…

9. Pursuing projects that enhance the value of our investment • More net-centric services • Hosted servers, remote backup, remote storage, colocation • Access to more content/databases (Ebsco, etc.) • Peering with content providers to our members • SIS, library automation, etc. • Digital Learning Environment • Moodle, Content Repository, BigBlueButton/Vidyo

10. Michigan Geography • Only state with 2 Peninsulas • Joined by 5-mile Mackinac Bridge • 83 counties in MI • 70% are rural • Creates challenges with middle-mile and last-mile infrastructure • MI Department of Ed – decentralized education network

11. Michigan – Merit Network • Limited resources and quality of life created an appetite for hungry collaborators • Came to the table as a community to share resources • Merit Network operates and manages Michigan’s statewide R&E network

12. The conversation begins…. • Leaders at the table are individuals that want to create a solution that is a winning combination with options. “A Geographical Community Partnership is a regional section of Michigan that is comprised of leaders interested in the quality of life within their community. Downing”

13. 10 Gbps Backbone with 1 Gbps to Schools/Members • Creativity & Possibilities • Statewide Collaborations • UP, REMC1 • Alpena • Hillsdale • Escanaba, others… C3 • Communication, Cooperation, Collaboration

14. Upper Peninsula -- Michigan Before After

15. REMC 1 • 5 rural counties of the UP, 5000 sq miles, >10K students, 2 ISDs, 23 school districts • ~ 350 miles leased fiber-based circuits (10-1,000 Mb/s) • Current limited bandwidth, collaboration and centralization due to limited capacity - $$$$$$ • Future fiber IRU with Merit leads to virtually unlimited expandable WAN bandwidth, increased collaboration, lower costs, and control of the future - $$$

16. Infrastructure • Currently leveraging Merit to share services beyond our own 5 county fiber footprint, utilizing Merit’s backbone to extend to other counties and ISDs • MARESA 2 county fiber ring, with single connection back to Merit, tunneled to REMC • DIISD (2 county ISD) individual connections to Merit, with backhaul to REMC • All share the same firewall and network services as the REMC1 connected WAN, and share costs

17. Shared Services • Cascaded bandwidth reservations with bursting • Unencumbered access • Shared firewall with 35 school districts • Higher quality, more features, lower cost • Unified Threat Management (IDS, IPS, ssl content filtering, application control, SPAM filtering, AV, malware, etc) • Shared local cloud services (WAN cloud) • 15TB video repository mirror, live statewide video streaming mirror • Network backup/disaster recovery services • VMware hosted centralized server cluster in our data center • Redundant A/C, power & network, generator, HA, SAN • Regional & statewide server/service hosting • Higher quality services, with capacity and failover • Local cloud storage – compartmentalizing services

18. Shared Services (continued) • Video conference services • Gatekeeper, Gateway, MCU, and VCR • Shared classes, video meetings, field trips • Shared tech support services • Natural fit with ISP services - single point of contact, full-time helpdesk, full integration and resolution • Regional standardization • Hardware, software, management • Becoming the regional data network hub

19. Transforming IT Infrastructure in Education

20. K20 Learning Community

22. Empowering High School StudentsPassaic Valley Regional High School • Contemporary Issues through Video Conferencing • Around the World • Science in Cinema

23. http://Merit.edu http://www.more.net http://www.more.net/cosn-presentation http://Njedge.net http://academicinternet.org http://njvid.net http://pvhs.k12.nj.us/ http://www.remc1.org Matthew Conforth pvmconforth@yahoo.com Elwood Downing ejd@merit.edu David W. Olson dolson@more.net Sheri Prupis prupis@njedge.net Michael Richardson mike@remc1.org