In addition to faster connections, the network also will be more reliable. The network is designed in two circles—east and west—that connect all the district buildings. Data signals can reach a school from either direction on the ring. If there is a failure at some point in the path, data will be rerouted in the other direction. In addition, servers, routers and other parts of the system are all duplicated so if one component fails, the other takes over. The system has been designed to an industry standard that strives to achieve less than 5 minutes down time per year.

Because of the increased capacity and speed, we’ll be able to convert phone service district-wide to voice over internet protocol (VoIP). Both voice and data will be provided to and from the schools over the new network. The double ring design also allows all schools to access phone and internet service through only two connection points. Currently the there are many different phone and internet connections throughout the district and each connection has its own service fee. Reducing the number of connections to just two eliminates many of those fees, saving the district thousands of dollars each year.  

The wide area network project has provided the opportunity to partner with a number of other public entities. These collaborations have resulted in cost savings for the District and benefits in terms of shared resources for all parties. Some of the District’s partners include: the cities of Boulder, Louisville, Broomfield, Lafayette, Nederland, and Longmont, Boulder County, the Boulder Research Area Network, Colorado University, CBOCES, UNAVCO, UCAR, Colorado State University, Adams 12 School District, CDOT and the National Forest Service.