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Carrier Services
Qwest: Ethernet enhances the education experience
Ups the bandwidth for Utah’s UEN and extending service to new communities
by Sean Buckley
It seems like everyone is getting on the 'bringing high bandwidth to education' bandwagon lately. A new coalition formed called the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition to push for more bandwidth to these entities. For Qwest Communications, providing high-speed connectivity to education initiatives is an old hat. The operator recently won a new deal to provide Ethernet connectivity to the Utah Education Network (UEN). In this interview, Telecom Engine Editor in Chief Sean Buckley caught up with Sharon Montgomery, VP of Government and Education Solutions for Qwest Communications, to talk about its latest deal with UEN to connect 21 of the state’s 40 school districts to Qwest’s statewide fiber-optic network and how it sees the rest of the education market shaping up for 2009 and 2010.
Telecom Engine: Qwest just signed a new deal with the Utah Education Network to connect 21 of the state’s 40 school districts to its statewide fiber-optic network. Can you talk about your relationship with Utah Education Network (UEN) and your latest upgrade project?
Montgomery: We have been a long-standing partner of UEN’s for decades. We have emerged and evolved around new technology and providing better applications on top of their network. Certainly, the deployment of Ethernet is providing them with a ton of opportunities to layer on those applications that make a difference to the kid in the classroom, for teachers and school administration. It’s an evolution where they are leading edge and are forging new territory in providing new applications and using new technology to up the game in teaching.
Telecom Engine: At the core of Qwest’s latest network deal with UEN is Ethernet. Do you see the education market increasing their use of Ethernet?
Montgomery: GeoMax is the framework for that. When you look at Megabit requirements and the availability, once you have a fiber infrastructure, you can tweak that and bring in more bandwidth for the schools. We’re just extending that and building on that Ethernet platform. One of the things that UEN does that really helps from a funding perspective in delivering that upgraded platform is utilizing the E-Rate program to capture dollars to supplement what they need to do.
Telecom Engine: You mentioned E-Rate. What’s your take on the current state of the E-Rate funding program and what does Qwest bring to the table for schools trying to secure E-Rate funding?
Montgomery: There’s varying degrees. UEN uses consultants to help them understand because it’s complex. You've got to really make sure you deliver on those expectations so that when you get audited you can deliver on what you expect. A lot of school districts feel its complex and don’t want to invest in it. I am on a page that we all pay for it and if I am Utah, Colorado or Pennsylvania, I want those dollars coming back to my state. If my school districts aren’t utilizing those funds, they are going to some other state. It’s a program intended for a certain purpose, and I think the school districts have a due diligence in trying to recoup some of that money back to the state the citizens are paying for it.
Telecom Engine: We have seen a number of states and even local towns take various approaches to getting their bandwidth. What’s your take on UEN’s approach and are you seeing other states adopting similar cooperative network programs for colleges and local schools?
Montgomery: There is a varied degree in what’s going in on each state. Many states are looking at how we bring consortiums together so we can leverage a platform, and how do I deliver to rural communities. From a business case standpoint, it’s always easier for a service provider to look at bigger pie. I can leverage that metro area to help subsidize from a bigger pie perspective the distance in that because it gets more expensive as you get further out from your core. I think the smart states are bringing consortiums together and I am looking at the big picture. As a service provider we can up the ante from a distributed model and look at the entire pie. Specially, yes, there are many states that are trying to bring that together. As you can imagine there are varying degrees of political issues. I think that’s really going to be a trend in the future to help. There are certainly funds and subsidies that will be helpful in making that happen, particularly for service providers that have a high cost the further out we get from our core network.
Telecom Engine: How much of it is a challenge for you to extend your facilities into more remote areas? Is it done on a case-by-case basis?
Montgomery: We do have a national footprint. Certainly, our 14-state in-region US West territory is a bigger play because I got most of those customers already. It’s kind of individual. You’re going to take every case and say how do I build a business case? We’re going to take every case and say ‘how am I going to build a business case?’ We’re going to leverage the size and scope of that. I am competitive and I want to be the one providing the service, but at the end of the day Qwest is a for-profit company and I want to deliver value to my shareholders. The bigger the pot that I can leverage across a larger space the better for my business case. If I already have fiber going to a location that’s zero cost; I can leverage that against other plays in a larger spectrum. It comes down to the dollars and how do I leverage that entire network.
Telecom Engine: Are you seeing other states build their own networks?
Montgomery: It’s a good thing when a state becomes a core anchor tenant in that they subsidize the payment and for economic development that helps in the enterprise space for the state. When I am a business looking for a location to put my business core you need connectivity.
Telecom Engine: When it comes to building out networks for education, some education entities will either do it themselves (Wichita, KS district) and others will go to the service provider (Jefferson County, CO). What do you think the service provider can bring to the table?
Montgomery: I think one of the things is the people. From the standpoint of my vertical market we’re specialized in the government vertical (state and local government, K-12 and hospitals). From the standpoint of that expertise, we try to align what their problems are and a unique specialized service that’s going to meet those requirements. It’s not always the same cookie cutter approach. You have to really understand the needs of what that business enterprise is and try to fit how you’re going to solve those problems. It varies. You don’t have the same approach every time. The are dedicated teams across the country that help in solving their problems, and for schools that’s how do I get bandwidth so I can layer on my applications, keep my administration happy and provide parents with what they need. For example, a school could be having a French class in Salt Lake City that’s delivered from France. The other thing is we have the nimbleness to deliver on what we promise. At the end of the day, you have to deliver on what you promise. I will go on record and say we do that and are very good at making sure we don’t over promise and under deliver.
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