CCC to become host to Statewide Educational Network

Clovis Community College will become a host site for the Statewide Educational Network to optimize connectivity to schools, allow sharing of resources and reduce cybersecurity risk.

Broadband Program Manager Ovidiu Viorica presented the project to CCC’s board of trustees at Wednesday’s meeting. Viorica said the two-phase project will aim to provide better internet speed and connectivity and expert network management.

“For New Mexico schools and school districts, the state is remote, rural and sparsely populated in many areas and (internet technology) expertise is not uniformly available,” Viorica said.

Viorica said the project will connect all public schools who will participate together and to secure the internet. Other entities, including libraries, higher education, museums and state parks can also benefit from this change.

The project is operated by the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion, which implements the U.S. Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program. According to the connect New Mexico website, the program provides $42.45 billion in federal funds to expand high-speed internet access in all 50 states.

He said CCC, along with other state colleges, are already connected to a central point in Albuquerque. This project will now connect the other campuses together to strengthen connection and cybersecurity. He said high capacity links, that run about 100 - 400 gigabits per second, will connect all the nodes across the state together.

“The idea behind this project is to provide better broadband internet access to rural communities. CCC along with other institutions are agreeing to be a part of this project to become host sites for this equipment that will help provide a network system that the state is hoping to get to,” said Norman Kia, vice president for IT and operations.

Kia said the state has been working on this project for several years, and it is just now starting to bear fruit within the past year. Viorica said the online usage from students during COVID really sparked the ignition of the project.

Nodes will be established within the campus, while upgrading electrical and cooling systems within the facilities to house the SEN nodes. Viorica said the installation and maintenance of the nodes would be at no cost to the college.

Viorica said smaller school districts would connect to the node stationed at CCC. Students then will have high speed internet access.

Kia said this project isn’t meant to compete with local internet service providers, it is strictly to help schools that aren’t able to get fast, reliable internet.

The board voted unanimously in favor of the project and will be looking into construction of the nodes in the future. Viorica said the goal is to finish the entire project by July 1.