COMMUNITY
Hot spots designated as community anchors offer faster connections with larger bandwidth
22 7
$74 3
tribal colleges and universities
4 rural hospitals UNITING GROUPS
million dollars in grant funds from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.
groups applied for the grant: the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Office of Management and Enterprise Services and Oklahoma Department of Transportation
libraries and other entities
What do you know about OCAN? BROADBAND DEFINED
INTERNET SERVICE IMPACTS
89
percent of the state’s population
LOCATION
In 2010, installation began on optic fiber along OneNet’s footprint, a path that leads from the Panhandle down to Broken Bow.
1,005 MILES OF OPTIC FIBER
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defined "Basic Broadband" as data transmission speeds of at least 4 Mbit/s down- stream (from the Internet to the user's computer) and 1 Mbit/s upstream (from the user's computer to the Internet).
school principals and superintendents. “Our libraries help residents conduct job interviews or connect for business opportunities,” McVey said. “It’s all possible because of the fi ber optics that OneNet provides.” Through OCAN, OneNet strives to offer improved Internet service
to Oklahomans of all ages. OCAN community anchors Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla., and Cameron University in Lawton, Okla., work closely to offer college preparatory classes for veterans through a partnership between Redlands’ Veterans Upward Bound initiative and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Vocational Rehabilitation program. Redlands’ Chief Information Offi cer Matthew Hamilton said his college and Cameron University leverage their OCAN designations to serve members of the armed forces. “We were able to provide network service and support to our
Veterans Upward Bound extension offi ce at Cameron University and set up a full computer lab specifi cally for veterans,” Hamilton said. “It’s become an extension of our site at no additional cost to us.” OCAN has been a game-changer for Redlands: two of the college’s agricultural education and applied research centers, serviced by Cimarron Electric Cooperative, have been added to the OneNet net- work. Also, high school students across Western Oklahoma now have easier access to college courses offered at more than 30 Redlands’ IETV sites. “The redundancy of the OCAN network has stabilized our Internet service and given us the confi dence we need to run that program,” Hamilton said. “It’s fun to watch how technology is being used in more rural environments.” Royal at OneNet headquarters said the Internet service impacts 89 percent of the state’s population, but many rural residents have yet to learn about OCAN’s possibilities. A year after its offi cial launch, Royal and his team are pleased with OneNet’s progress but hope to link up with rural electric co-ops and local telecommunications companies for continued expansion in the near future.
Connect with a Local Cooperative
In addition to high-speed Internet available through the OCAN system, several of Oklahoma’s rural electric co-ops offer independent broadband service options for both residential and commer- cial use. The following co-ops provide Internet or fi nancial assistance for high-speed service:
✓ Choctaw
www.choctawelectric.com 580-326-6486 Offers eligible members a discounted rate for the initial installation of premium Internet service as well as the option to fi nance Internet installation costs for up to 10 months.
✓ CREC
www.crec.coop 405-372-2884 Offers wireless broadband service through a partnership with
ProValue.net. The cost is bundled with members’ monthly electric bills.
✓East Central
www.ecoec.com 918-756-0833 Offers Exede Satellite Internet available in a broadband network.
✓ Kiamichi
www.kiamichielectric.org 918-465-2338 Offers Exede Satellite Internet available in a broadband network through the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative.
✓ Lake Region
www.lrecok.coop 918-772-2526 Offers fi ber optic, high-speed service through Exede Satellite Internet.
✓ Northeast Oklahoma
www.neelectric.com 918-256-6405 Offers broadband service via fi ber optics to rural schools, libraries, businesses and other anchor institutions. Coming soon – Northeast also is in the process of deploying Bolt Fiber Optic Services to the home, which will provide the area’s fastest Internet.
For more information about high-speed Internet in your area, please contact your rural electric cooperative.
SEPTEMBER 2014 27
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