Perrysburg Case Study

Ohio School District Enjoys Unlimited Potential with Dark Fiber Network Solution

An Ohio school district upgrades its technology infrastructure with a custom, dark fiber solution from Unite Private Networks, LLC. The virtually unlimited network throughput enables immediate cost savings while enriching curriculum and extending the district’s reputation for excellence in education.

About Perrysburg Schools

Perrysburg Schools is a highly-regarded public school district in Perrysburg, Ohio that is repeatedly recognized for excellence. The district has an enrollment of 4800 students across six schools and a $40 million annual budget. With 600 staff, Perrysburg Schools is the second-largest employer in the community.

Technology is Mission-Critical to the Instructional Process

With more than 97% of the district’s high school graduates going on to college or the military, Perrysburg families take education seriously. Technology is a mission-critical component of that educational process, especially in the eyes of Brent Shafer, Perrysburg Schools Technology Director.

“So much hinges on technology, it’s not an optional piece of the curriculum,” Shafer says. He continually strives to empower teachers to improve and enrich the instructional process by leveraging technology.

Improving and Expanding Network Infrastructure is High Priority

One of the fundamental pieces of any enterprise technology infrastructure is the network. When Shafer arrived at Perrysburg Schools in 2005, the district serviced each of its buildings with copper T1 lines, transmitting data at 1.5 Megabits per second. He made it a priority to upgrade that network, eventually increasing the bandwidth supplied by a local cable company, to a rate of 10 Megabits per second.

As the demands on the network grew – in lockstep with the mission-critical nature of technology in providing a quality education – Shafer looked to expand and upgrade the 10-Megabit network infrastructure. “To change instruction itself, the best thing I can do is maximize the pipe we’re providing, and the means by which teachers are able to get instructional materials to students,” he says.

Dark Fiber WAN from UPN Becomes Affordable Option

To that end, Shafer had his sights set on a fiber optic Wide Area Network (WAN) installation for the district, such as those designed and custom-built by Unite Private Networks (UPN). Shafer extensively researched lease options through various providers versus district-owned approaches to fiber optic networks. He concluded that leasing from UPN provided all the benefits of ownership; there was no compelling fiscal or technological advantage for the district to justify the burden of building and maintaining the infrastructure itself.

With Perrysburg Schools already leveraging the federal E-Rate program that enables U.S. schools and libraries to obtain affordable telecommunications and Internet services, Shafer recognized that certain 2011 changes to the program provided an unprecedented opportunity. Dark fiber – referring to the scenario in which the district provides the electronics to modulate the fiber – was added to the E-Rate program as a Priority-One item, guaranteeing its funding to those awarded E-Rate discounts.

In January 2011 Shafer solicited bids for a dark fiber WAN lease that would qualify for E-Rate funding. “UPN was the hands down clear choice,” Shafer says. “We didn’t realize this kind of implementation would be within our reach, UPN provides a truly affordable solution.”

Full Control Over Unlimited Bandwidth a Huge Advantage

As one of the largest turn-key providers of fiber optic Wide Area Networks (WANs) in the nation, UPN provides specialized expertise in helping school districts leverage the E-Rate government program. By designing and building a custom fiber optic network solution from scratch, UPN provides school districts and other enterprise customers a genuine dark fiber option, which can provide virtually unlimited bandwidth.

With a ten-year, fixed-cost lease for dark fiber from UPN, and a 52% discount through the E-Rate program, Shafer knew he had secured a long-term, state-of-the-art network solution while minimizing cost. By opting to capitalize on the dark fiber potential with advanced, 10 Gigabit electronics, the district has increased the previous 10 Megabit network throughput by 1000 times. Furthermore, Shafer has complete flexibility and control over the bandwidth. “We have full capacity to expand the network to be what we need, and we know it will accommodate our future growth,” Shafer explains.

Perrysburg Schools is extremely well-poised to take advantage of current technology and future advances, and Shafer delights in the knowledge that the network’s cost of ownership will only decrease over time.

Dramatically Increased Throughput Enables Immediate Cost Savings

In addition to enriching the quality of education at Perrysburg Schools, the UPN network enables more efficiency in the basic systems and services essential to daily operations. With the upgraded network, Perrysburg is able to leverage an enterprise-level Voice over IP (VoIP) solution with centralized call management. Reducing the number of traditional, copper-wire phone lines will save the district about thousands of dollars annually. “Now, we can get more features for less money,” he notes.

More cost savings result from the ability to eliminate redundancy in site-based equipment and services. “The previous network infrastructure did not allow us to centralize our services,” says Shafer. By consolidating resources in one location, the district significantly reduces hardware capital expenses, as well as power and space requirements, while simplifying maintenance.

New Efficiencies and Optimal Positioning for the Future

Because all network-intensive processes are more efficient with limitless bandwidth, the district’s regular data backup process can be completed in a fraction of the time, with no impact to other network services. A major upgrade to the district’s wireless network service is also planned, with advanced capabilities such as individualized authentication and centralized management and control. Shafer looks forward to an expanded ability to accommodate mobile computing and communication devices in the instructional process.

Additional systems being implemented to take advantage of the new network capabilities include HVAC control, distance learning, and security systems – including IP cameras and keycard swipes for building entrances. Shafer also notes the elimination of concern over “unforeseen futures” – such as state-mandated online testing for student achievement – that will inevitably contribute to higher bandwidth requirements in the years to come.

Network, District Performance Knows no Limits

Shafer is very pleased with the selection of UPN to bring the unlimited potential of dark fiber to Perrysburg Schools. He notes that the company’s extensive experience in working with school districts across the nation provides an optimal foundation for a very productive working relationship.

In turn, the UPN fiber network has made the district more productive at what it does best. “We’ve expanded our network exponentially. Going forward, our infrastructure will not be a limiting factor to what we can accomplish.”

About Unite Private Networks

Unite Private Networks (UPN) provides high bandwidth, fiber-based communications networks and related services to schools, governments, carriers, data centers, hospitals, and enterprise business customers throughout the United States. Service offerings include dark and lit fiber, private line, metro-optical Ethernet, Internet access, data center services, and other customized solutions. Headquartered in the Kansas City MO metro area, UPN has been providing customer-focused communications solutions since 1999. UPN is privately held. For more information on UPN, please visit http://www.upnllc.com/.

For more information on E-Rate funding, visit the Universal Services Administration website at http://www.usac.org/sl/.