Tom Rolfes, Education I.T. ManagerTom Rolfes, Education I.T. ManagerOffice of the Chief Information Officer and Office of the Chief Information Officer and

Nebraska Information Technology Nebraska Information Technology CommissionCommission

402.471.7969402.471.7969tom.rolfes@nitc.ne.gov

Comprehensive Websites:Comprehensive Websites:www.nitc.state.ne.us

www.networknebraska.net

Operational Update on LB 1208

• Major policy changes and definitions– Defines the statewide network as Network

Nebraska under the direction of the Chief Information Officer and the University of Nebraska

– Legislates the distance learning consortia out of existence by June 30, 2007 and gives responsibilities to the ESUs

– Creates the Distance Education Council– Provides for a web-based event clearinghouse

and statewide scheduling software system

Operational Update on LB 1208• Network Access

– “The Chief Information Officer shall provide (Network Nebraska) access to each school district, each educational service unit, each community college, each state college, and the University of Nebraska at the earliest feasible date and no later than July 1, 2012.”

– “The network shall meet the demand of state agencies, local governments, and education entities (public and private K-12 and higher ed).”

Operational Update on LB 1208

• Bid for Equipment and Software– “The Chief Information Officer shall bid for

such (telecomputing or distance education) equipment and software and shall allow educational entities as defined (public and private K-12 and higher ed) to participate in such statewide leasing or purchasing contracts.”

Operational Update on LB 1208

• eRate Application

– “The CIO shall apply in aggregate for reimbursements from the federal Universal Service Fund on behalf of school districts requesting to be included in such aggregated application.”

Operational Update on LB 1208

• Standards and Guidelines

– “The Nebraska Information Technology Commission shall adopt minimum technical standards, guidelines, and architectures upon recommendation by the technical panel.”

Nebraska Distance Learning Consortia(showing ESU boundaries)

Nebraska Distance Learning Consortia(showing fiber infrastructure)

Graphical depiction of fiber capacity by application and bandwidth

45 megabit DS-3 fiber

(old JPEG and T-1 Internet) 45 megabit DS-3 fiber

(new Flexible Use)

$1325/month JPEG video $ 216/month T-1 Internet

$XXXX/month full use of fiber capacity for IP

applications (equivalent to 28 T-1s)

JPEG Video

Internet1

IP Video

Streaming Video

Internet2

Internet1 eLearning

NDE Data

IP Video

Operational Update on LB 1208

• First, the technical standards…– IP Communication Protocol Standard for Synchronous

Distance Learning and Videoconferencing, 11/13/03– Contracting Guidelines for Upgrade of Distance Learning

Services, 11/13/03– Video and Audio Compression Standard for Synchronous

Distance Learning and Videoconferencing, 9/9/04– Network Edge Device Standard for Entities Choosing to

Connect to Network Nebraska, 5/1/06– Scheduling Standard for Synchronous Distance Learning

and Videoconferencing, 5/1/06– Standard for Learning Management Systems, Group lead

to be named on 11/22/06

Operational Update on LB 1208

• In May the CIO named eight (8) activity groups to fulfill the responsibilities of LB 1208…– Cost Structure/Billing– Distance Education Council Collaboration– Network Design/Support– Statewide eRate Application– Statewide Scheduling System– Edge Device Bidding– Video Codec Bidding– Other DL Equipment Bidding

Operational Update on LB 1208

• …composed of over 70 volunteers with eight activity leads and five CIO staff working part time on the Project Management team…– Scheduling System Bid is complete– Network Design and Edge Device RFP is

being released– Video Codec RFP will be finished by Dec. 1– Over 100 Letters of Agency have been

collected for eRate filing for the first Phase of implementation

Operational Update on LB 1208

• …with numerous K-12 and higher education people working long hours without any compensation to keep the project “in the green”.– Cost structure and billing algorithm has been

developed to recover direct and indirect costs associated with interregional transport and the staffing of Network Nebraska

– List of other DL equipment has been developed after having experienced a 2-day vendor fair in Kearney on Nov. 2-3

Operational Update on LB 1208

• What’s the future?

• Why does all this matter?

• Isn’t one T-1 of Internet enough?

• What problem is this technology trying to solve?

• Can distance learning ever be as good as face-to-face instruction?

• Won’t teachers’ jobs be at risk?

Blaine

Boone

Boyd

Brown

Butler

Chase

CherryDakota

Furnas

Garfield

HarlanHitchcock

Hooker Loup

NuckollsPawneeThayer

ThomasThurston

Webster

Wheeler

Clay

Arthur

Keith

Hayes

Valley

HowardNance

Sioux

Seward

Colfax

Madison

RichardsonDundyGosper

Phelps

PolkYork

SalineFillmore

Merrick

GreeleyGarden

Franklin

Saunders

NN

SheridanKeya Paha

Holt

= U of N Backbone = State of Nebraska Backbone

= U of N Co-Location

= State of Nebraska CORENAP

Dawson

FrontierAdams

Kearney

Burt

= Hi Speed Internet Access

= Community college connectionto U of N Co-Location

Jefferson

Knox Cedar

NN

Q

P

C

NN

Perkins Hamilton

Otoe

Stanton

Pierce

Dixon

NN

CumingDodgeBanner

Kimball

64 3

2

1

WayneBox

#

Deuel

Practicable Nebraska Educational Networkwith State College, Community College & ESU connections

O

Buffalo

ANN

B

Dawes

MN

JGage

L

Johnson

K

Washington

D

H

G

IPlatte

E1

E2

E3

NN

Douglas

SarpyCass

Community Colleges

NorthEast CommD - Norfolk

E- McCookMid Plains Comm

F- North Platte

SouthEast CommJ - BeatriceK - MilfordL - Lincoln

Metro CommM - ElkhornN - Fort OmahaO - South Omaha

Central Comm.G - Grand IslandH - HastingsI - Columbus

Western Nebr CommP- ScottsBluffQ - SidneyR - Alliance

State CollegesA - Wayne StateB - Peru StateC - Chadron State

Educational Service Units

E1- WakefieldE2 - FremontE3 - OmahaE4 - AuburnE5 - Beatrice

E6 - MilfordE7 - ColumbusE8 - NelighE9 - HastingsE10 - Kearney

E11 - Holdrege

E13 - ScottsbluffE14 - Sidney

E15 - Trenton

E16 - OgallalaE17 - AinsworthE18 - Lincoln (LPS)E19 - Omaha (OPS)

E4Nemaha

E5

E6

E7

Lancaster

E8

E9

E10

E11

E15

E16

E17

Rock

Antelope

E18

E19

P

C = State college connectionto U of N Co-Location

E15 = State college connectionto U of N Co-Location

Internet 1 Internet 2

F

ERedWillow

Cheyenne

5

Sherman

Hall

LoganCuster

Morrill

R

7

8NN

NN

E13

E14 Lincoln

McPherson

GrantScottsbluff

Butte

Internet2 Sponsored Education Group Participation States (38 in 2006)

Internet2 Sponsored Education Group Participation States (38 in 2006)

Internet2 K20 Connectivity Survey

Tom Rolfes, Education I.T. ManagerTom Rolfes, Education I.T. ManagerOffice of the Chief Information Officer and Office of the Chief Information Officer and

Nebraska Information Technology Nebraska Information Technology CommissionCommission

402.471.7969402.471.7969tom.rolfes@nitc.ne.gov

Comprehensive Websites:Comprehensive Websites:www.nitc.state.ne.us

www.networknebraska.net