STATE COLLEGE, PA – The Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research (KINBER), the non-profit membership organization comprised of education, healthcare and public media organizations devoted to fostering collaboration through technology, announced that Bucks County-based Sunesys completed the construction of KINBER’s Pennsylvania Research and Education Network (PennREN).
PennREN provides advanced data networking to non-profit organizations across 50 counties of Pennsylvania. It enables value-added services like realistic high-definition video, real-time video conferencing, and data sharing for education, research, healthcare, workforce development, government and economic development. The collaborative environment also provides opportunities for member institutions to share best practices, content and programs.
The KINBER research network joins 38 other state research networks across the country (including Pennsylvania’s surrounding states) that deliver high bandwidth networking services to support regional economic development.
In 2010, KINBER received an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant for $99.6 million to deliver broadband networks to underserved areas of Pennsylvania by building a 1,600-mile high speed fiber optic network across the state within the three-year grant period.
Partnering with Last-mile Providers
PennREN is a middle mile network that has a series of hubs at public sector sites. From those hubsites KINBER has engaged other private entities to provide last-mile network services over their networks to connect organizations in locations not met by the grant.
KINBER is looking to engage more last-mile providers across the state. These providers would benefit from growth opportunities in the public and private sectors in all of the impacted communities. KINBER already has several customers, primarily community colleges and it is offering a variety of services during PennREN’s inaugural year, including dark fiber services, Ethernet service and optical transport services across PennREN.
