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An 80-mile-long dark fiber route has been deployed to connect a West Texas school district, bolstering security at local schools.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
Fiber broadband is helping one West Texas school district fulfill a commitment to keep kids safe, according to FiberLight, the company behind the district’s new dark fiber network.
The network, which will serve the Ector County Independent School District based in Odessa, was completed with help from Netsync, a company that specializes in network infrastructure.
A representative from the Ector County Independent School District, Chief Technology Officer Kellie Wilks, explained how the project ties into the district’s prioritization of safety.
“One thing we’re focusing on this year is school security, and all of our cameras and digital door access points rely on our network,” Wilks said, according to FiberLight’s release. “When we talk about technology upgrades parents don’t understand where fiber is and why. They just want to know that their kids are safe and secure and have the opportunity for a great educational experience.”
Wilks said the district is able to live up to its commitments because of the network’s deployment.
“We’re able to live up to our commitment because that fiber is in the ground, our online services are up, and our network is resilient.” -Chief Technology Officer Kellie Wilks, Ector County Independent School District
The district, which serves the communities of West Odessa, Gardendale, and Goldsmith, includes 33,500 students, and over 40 instructional facilities across 900 square miles, according to FiberLight’s release.
The road to this week’s announcement began in 2016, when FiberLight and Netsync won the bid to build out a private, dark-fiber network for the district.
Both companies worked with the district to secure funds for the project on state and federal levels, the release stated.
According to FiberLight, the route’s design features a loop for redundancy, allowing traffic to be rerouted if there is a cut to the fiber.
Both firms tout prior work with school districts
As comments from Ron Kormos, the Chief Strategy Officer for FiberLight, explained in company’s June 11 announcement, dark fiber networks for school districts have become a specialty for Fiber Light.
“From Amarillo to Ector County and across Texas, FiberLight has created diverse and resilient dark networks for school communities that are committed to preparing students for success in our rapidly changing world,” Kormos stated.
Netsync has also built a reputation as “one of the preeminent technology solutions providers for K-12 schools,” according to FiberLight’s release.
FiberLight credited Netsync with delivering “Optical Network WAN infrastructure and expertise as a core component that will scale to meet the growing operational needs of the district.”
David Ireak, a global infrastructure practice manager at Netsync, said they were proud to partner with FiberLight for the project.
“Together, we’re enabling (the district) to transform the digital learning experience, ensure uptime, and provide a secure network to support the district’s safety protocols.”
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