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The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) is a state-administered fiber optics network designed to provide equal access to citizens including Iowans with modern telecommunication resources.
The Iowa Communications Network provides data, high-speed Internet connections, security, and voice (telephone) service to a variety of authorized users, which includes state and federal government agencies, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, healthcare and public libraries.
ICN sunsetted its video service in 2020.
Governor Terry Branstad signed an authorizing bill in 1989. In 1991, construction began on Parts I and II of the network when one fiber optic endpoint was installed per county. In 1992 parts of the new fiber-optic system were activated. The network became operational in 1993 and by the next year the new network offered a full motion video connection to all 99 Iowa counties, its 3 state universities, public television, and state government. The Iowa Communications Network became a state agency directed by the Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission (ITTC) in 1994.
In 1995, the governor established a plan for Part III of the network. This four-year plan added full-motion video sites to public and private school districts, AEAs, and public libraries throughout Iowa. At the turn of the century the 700th full-motion video classroom was connected to the ICN, surpassing the original plan which only called for a maximum of 500 classrooms. One year later, ICN’s internet bandwidth was brought up to 400 Mbit/s for a faster, more efficient connection. In 2003, the network received a number of upgrades, appropriated through state legislation, which made it one of the most technologically advanced telecommunications services for state government as the time. In 2004, Danville High School was the final site to be added to the Network under Part III legislation.
In March 2005, the ICN became debt free and no longer receives general fund appropriations. To date over 231 million dollars has been invested by state and federal government in the development of the network. http://www.icn.iowa.gov/
ICN sunsetted its video service in 2020.
Iowa Communications Network allows citizens to take advantage of Telemedicine, which makes specialty care more accessible to rural Iowans and simplifies provider education by allowing rural health practitioners to “attend” educational programs without leaving their communities. [1] As well, the Iowa Communications Network has been integrated into a Telejustice system, a way of using two-way interactive video to reduce the expense of expert witnesses and allows crime victims to testify at parole hearings without the inconvenience and tension associated with traveling to a meeting where an inmate was present.
After September 2001, the ICN became an important device for the security of the state of Iowa and its inhabitants. The ICN has been a valuable tool for the National Emergency Action agencies. The Iowa Department of Public Health has used the network to teach medical professionals around the state about bioterrorism. It has reduced response times and assisted in the recovery process during emergencies. http://www.icn.iowa.gov/
Recent legislation now allows Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HLSEM) to use the ICN when emergencies are declared by the governor. HLSEM can also use the ICN for emergency response training and exercises. It can create a command-to-command communications network that covers the entire state in times of emergency. In the case of an urgent situation, this will allow independent agencies to be organized at the county level as well as being connected on a larger scale with everyone whom the ICN is linked to. [2]
Physically, the central operations hub of the ICN resides within Iowa National Guard State Area Command (STARC) Armory Complex, near Camp Dodge. This grants the network a degree of physical security against disruption in the event of a state or national emergency.
With sites in over 400 K12 schools, 170 post-secondary institution classrooms, and 50 libraries, providing Educational-access television cable TV capabilities to all Iowans in a cost-effective way remains a core purpose of the ICN. Part of that function is the goal of bringing equal educational opportunities to K-12 students located in rural and underserved areas. ICN also provides Internet bandwidth to school districts and colleges around the state.
ICN makes it possible for instructors and learners physically separated by location to participate in interactive educational events such as college-credit and Advanced Placement classes, classes with shared teachers, and virtual field trips.
Training programs offered by the University of Northern Iowa have helped more than 9000 teachers, medical professionals, librarians, state employees, and other Iowans to use the ICN effectively.
In FY2007, over 50,000 Iowa students and teachers benefited from distance learning opportunities delivered over the Iowa Communications Network. Almost 7,000 of these hours of learning were delivered through Iowa Public Television's K-12 Connections programming, providing opportunities for students, educators, and school personnel to learn through live,
interactive sessions provided at no cost to the students, teachers, or school districts. Through the free K-12 Connections experience, students interact live with presenters and students attending the session from other schools or libraries. Professional development sessions are provided for teachers and other district staff.
The ICN buys telecommunications services from private providers in large volume and resells these services to users at a no-profit price. The result is that private sector providers get a large, steady revenue stream. Iowa benefits from the technology investment of providers who deliver service across the ICN. Users in rural communities get affordable services connecting them to the world.
On July 2, 2010, ICN receives $16.2 million for broadband infrastructure funding for its “Bridging the Digital Divide for Iowa Communities” grant project.
ICN submitted a Comprehensive Community Infrastructure (CCI) application to the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The CCI project, proposed during the second round, will enhance the Network to a 10 GB/s (10 gigabytes per second) backbone that would reach all 99 counties in Iowa. This middle mile network advancement will also provide 1 GB/s of symmetrical Ethernet connectivity to 1,036 education facilities, hospitals, libraries, public safety, workforce development, and other Community Anchor Institutions throughout the state.
ICN’s CCI grant included partnering efforts with key anchor institutions throughout Iowa, such as Iowa Health System, Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi, community colleges, and several state agencies. ICN’s grant will enable many public and private partnerships to be established, specifically with Iowa’s local telecommunication providers.
Telecommunications in Mongolia face unique challenges. As the least densely populated country in the world, with a significant portion of the population living a nomadic lifestyle, it has been difficult for many traditional information and communication technology (ICT) companies to make headway into Mongolian society. With almost half the population clustered in the capital of Ulaanbaatar, most landline technologies are deployed there. Wireless technologies have had greater success in rural areas.
Telecommunications in Tanzania include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet available in mainland Tanzania and the semiautonomous Zanzibar archipelago.
Telecommunications in Iraq include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet as well as the postal system.
An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides a myriad of services related to accessing, using, managing, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privately owned.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that serves as the president's principal adviser on telecommunications policies pertaining to the United States' economic and technological advancement and to regulation of the telecommunications industry.
The telecommunications policy of the United States is a framework of law directed by government and the regulatory commissions, most notably the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Two landmark acts prevail today, the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The latter was intended to revise the first act and specifically to foster competition in the telecommunications industry.
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The Ocean State Higher Education Economic Development and Administrative Network is a non-profit coalition of colleges, universities, K-12 school, libraries, hospitals, government agencies and other non-profit organizations, providing Internet-based technology for its member institutions and the communities they serve. OSHEAN is a member of the Rhode Island technology community, regularly contributing expertise and resources to a wide range of initiatives, from school enrichment activities to community forums on technology-related issues in the public interest. OSHEAN regularly pursues opportunities for local, regional and national collaboration and plays a national leadership role in professional education for IT professionals and policy development in the information technology arena.
Municipal broadband is broadband Internet access offered by public entities. Services are often provided either fully or partially by local governments to residents within certain areas or jurisdictions. Common connection technologies include unlicensed wireless, licensed wireless, and fiber-optic cable. Many cities that previously deployed Wi-Fi based solutions, like Comcast and Charter Spectrum, are switching to municipal broadband. Municipal fiber-to-the-home networks are becoming more prominent because of increased demand for modern audio and video applications, which are increasing bandwidth requirements by 40% per year. The purpose of municipal broadband is to provide internet access to those who cannot afford internet from internet service providers and local governments are increasingly investing in said services for their communities.
Telecommunications in Montenegro includes radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.
The Utah Education Network (UEN) is a broadband and digital broadcast network serving public education, higher education, applied technology campuses, libraries, and public charter schools throughout the state of Utah. The Network facilitates interactive video conferencing, provides instructional support services, and operates a public television station (KUEN) on behalf of the Utah State Board of Regents. UEN services benefit more than 60,000 faculty and staff, and more than 780,000 students from pre-schoolers in Head Start programs through grandparents in graduate school. UEN headquarters are in Salt Lake City at the Eccles Broadcast Center on the University of Utah campus.
The Universal Service Fund (USF) is a system of telecommunications subsidies and fees managed by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) intended to promote universal access to telecommunications services in the United States. The FCC established the fund in 1997 in compliance with the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The FCC is a government agency that implements and enforces telecommunications regulations across the U.S. and its territories. The Universal Service Fund's budget ranges from $5–8 billion per year depending on the needs of the telecommunications providers. These needs include the cost to maintain the hardware needed for their services and the services themselves. The total 2019 proposed budget for the USF was $8.4 billion. The budget is revised quarterly allowing the service providers to accurately estimate their costs. As of 2019, roughly 60% of the USF budget was put towards “high-cost” areas, 19% went to libraries and schools, 13% was for low income areas, and 8% was for rural health care. In 2019 the rate for the USF budget was 24.4% of a telecom company's interstate and international end-user revenues.
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Merit Network, Inc., is a nonprofit member-governed organization providing high-performance computer networking and related services to educational, government, health care, and nonprofit organizations, primarily in Michigan. Created in 1966, Merit operates the longest running regional computer network in the United States.
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