41 school districts and charter schools in Texas to receive access to hybrid fiber-optic networkCreated: 7/29/2010 7:52:56 PMConterra Broadband Services recently announced it has been awarded a multi-year contract to supply high-speed, fiber-optic network services to 41 independent school districts and charter schools that are part of the Texas Region 17 Education Service Center Consortium.
The new network will combine the latest fiber-optic cable technology with FCC-licensed microwave radio signals to develop a cutting-edge Ethernet-based broadband network. Currently, the region is using a low-bandwidth network that has kept the schools from offering the same learning opportunities as others with faster internet speeds.
“Due to the vast size and geographic location of our independent school districts, ubiquitous high-speed broadband services have not been readily available to the majority of our school districts,” said Kyle Wargo, Region 17 executive director.
Wargo said the region’s insufficient web speeds fueled its decision to embrace fiber-optic connections. The new network will provide school districts with a minimum of 20Mbps of bandwidth, he added.
The network will open up a range of new educational opportunities for the schools, just as it will in other cities that plan to adopt fiber-optics. Rural schools in Virgina, Ohio and Iowa will soon be beneficiaries of broadband internet speeds, enabling them to provide students with a more competitive learning experience.
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