Utah Education and Telehealth Network Built a Customized Network to Connect Sites Across the State

Challenge

Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN) is a high-speed network connecting public and higher education across the state of Utah, and now includes healthcare clinics and libraries. It needed to connect school districts, state-run colleges and clinics with a resource-sharing network. UETN serves over 800,000 students and, at any given time, close to one million people are using their network. It needed a scalable network solution that could extend to the far reaches of the state, sometimes across rugged landscapes.

Solution

UETN created a dedicated, fiber-based network on the CenturyLink GeoMax platform, which uses Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology to vastly expand available bandwidth and flexibility. The improved bandwidth meets differing instructional and administrative needs, and also enhanced connections to municipalities. With its customized network, UETN can allocate bandwidth as needed. And, by leasing bandwidth, UETN qualifies for federal E-rate, an FCC program providing discounts to public education and rural healthcare.

Benefits and Results

• Dedicated, high-bandwidth fiber network.
• 10 Gbps backbone supports video streaming and live conferencing, meeting research universities’ big data needs and providing the ability to link classrooms anywhere in the world.
• Teachers no longer need to curtail activities such as video sharing due to lack of bandwidth.
• New network connected more than 1,400 sites across Utah, many via GeoMax.
• Collaborated with CenturyLink engineers to customize the network, and are now exploring ways to use GeoMax’s flexibility to meet increased demand.