Brandi Tubb
816.903.9400
brandi.tubb@upnllc.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Unite Private Networks Announces Wide Area Network Agreement with Omaha Public Schools

Multi-year agreement for fiber-optic services will connect all District sites

Omaha, NE (June 11, 2014) – Omaha Public Schools (OPS) recently signed an agreement with Unite Private Networks (UPN) to provide fiber-optic services for the District. The 73-mile network will connect all 96 District facilities.

“The network removes technology barriers that prevent us from effectively educating students,” said Omaha Public Schools Director of Information Technology, David Patton. “It will allow OPS to implement new learning applications as they are developed, enabling us to continue to provide students with the best education possible.”

UPN’s installation of the fiber-optic network has already begun and is expected to be completed by July 2015, with schools converting to the new system as they are built. When finished, the network will connect every school in the District directly with the TAC/Technology Center.  More importantly, schools will no longer share bandwidth, as they do now. The end result will be faster service and the ability to connect more computers to the network. The network can expand as the District’s needs change.

Kevin Anderson, Chief Executive Officer at UPN, said the new network will deliver bandwidth at speeds exponentially faster than their current network.  “With 1 Gigabit per second of bandwidth provided to each school location, the possibilities are endless to support and enhance educational programs.  For the past 16 years, UPN has been providing high bandwidth services to customers located across 20 states, primarily in the central U.S.  Whether urban, suburban or rural areas, the demand for fiber-optic networks and related services is very strong,” said Anderson.

The District’s utilization of federal E-rate funds, provided by the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund, helps make high-speed Internet connectivity more affordable for schools and libraries across the country.  In the case of OPS, E-Rate funds will cover more than 80 percent of the cost of service.

“We are very excited about adding OPS to our growing list of school district partners,” said Steve Bergeron, UPN Director of Education Sales in Nebraska. “The relationships we have built with school districts across the state are a great testament to the value our fiber-optic network delivers to schools.”

For more information about the UPN dark fiber map or other cities we cater to, take a look at our fiber map.