Presents

E-Rate: A Dark Fiber Network Solution

Laura DiltzJoel Bojarski

E-Rate is a federal Education Rate program, which provides discounts to schools and libraries for telecommunications, technology and services.

E-Rate

Dark fiber is a term used to describe fiber optic cable that is not being used at the time

This is contrasted with active fiber optic cable, often referred to as lit cable

Optical, physical connection between 2 or more locations

What is dark fiber?

Fiber optics is a medium in which information is transmitted through glass or plastic fiber in the form of light.

Dark fiber is the simplest, most reliable network available

No shared telecom service between providers

Dark Fiber

Dark fiber services offer a predictable, fixed cost that does not change from year to year

No matter how much speed you add, your cost stays the same

Predictability

As your district’s needs grow, the network evolves with you.

Your costs remain fixed, and with small equipment changes, you can increase the speed of your network any time.

Scalability

All your maintenance and repair needs met easily, efficiently, and in a fraction of the time

Service

By provisioning your district’s traffic through a dedicated dark fiber strand, the fiber optic network is the most secure option available

Security

Forms

Forms

Deadline 2/14/13

Deadline 3/14/13

Deadline 7/12/13

Two Different Service “Types”

Priority 1

Priority 2

Telecommunications Services◦ Telephone (local, long distance, cell phone)◦ Digital Transmission Services

Internet Services

Priority 1 Services

Dark fiber must be lit immediately Does NOT allow for unneeded capacity or

warehousing of dark fiber for future use Installation costs to hook up the dark fiber

are eligible◦ This includes charges for installation within the

property line Modulating electronics for leased dark fiber

are not eligible

Conditions for Leased Fiber

Internal Connections (wiring, hubs, switches, cabling, and some types of servers)

Basic maintenance of internal connections

Priority 2 Services

Planning Your Dark Fiber

Network for Your School District

Welcome to Anytown School District

Hub and Spoke◦ Simple design and troubleshooting◦ Less network protection◦ Requires a smaller fiber backbone◦ $$

Network Options

Hybrid: Ring and Spoke◦ Protects critical sites◦ Secondary sites on a single

lateral or “Daisy Chain”◦ $$$

Ring Design◦ Most network protection◦ Requires a larger backbone◦ $$$$

Hub and Spoke

Hub and Spoke

Hub and Spoke

X

Ring Design

Ring Design

Ring Design

X

Hybrid: Ring and Spoke Design

Hybrid: Ring and Spoke Design

Midwest Fiber Networks, LLC (MWFN), a Milwaukee-based company, was founded in 2001 as an Alternate Telecommunications Utility

Objective of delivering cost effective, alternate technology highways. Our networks offer your organization the ability to lease virtually unlimited bandwidth at a fixed cost

Who is MWFN?

Services We Offer

Questions?

Thank You!