Earlier this month, Teltek attended a Carroll Technology Council meeting at which we learned more about the Carroll County Fiber Network (CCFN) and how this exciting project is progressing. The update was presented by Mark Ripper, the county’s Chief Information Officer. The CCFN is a public, non-profit, data communications network consisting of a 112-mile broadband infrastructure that will deliver high speed data and bandwidth to Carroll County residents.
Construction of the fibers began in 2007 and when completed, this 216-count fiber network will connect seven primary business parks and 16 secondary
business parks in addition to 102 local, state, federal and public safety sites.
The 216 fibers will be allocated as follows:
72 for county, municipal and state government sites
72 for business and industrial use
72 reserved for future growth
Primarily, the network will run along state highways and most of the fibers will be hung on poles. The remaining 10 percent of the fibers will be placed underground.
Carroll County Government partnered with Carroll County Public Library, Carroll County Public Schools and Carroll Community College to form the partnership Carroll County Public Network (CCPN) to spearhead this effort. The money required to build the network came from Carroll County’s general operating fund for technology costs. Each partner contributed to the fund and The Inter-County Broadband Network Consortium kicked in 6.4 million.
According to the CCPN’s website, the mission of the network is to
“…provide access needed in today’s information-based world and to close the digital divide for Carroll County citizens through the cooperation of public agencies. The vision of CCPN is to bring opportunities, inherent in both the technology and resources, to Carroll County so that the Partners may better communicate with citizens, attract economic development to the region, improve the services and general quality of life, and prepare students and the community for success.”
The network should be complete by the first quarter of 2013 and Carroll County business owners will be able to hook up to high-speed Internet by the end of 2012. The CCFN will ensure faster connectivity for users and tremendous cost savings which will eventually offset the expense of building the infrastructure. It is estimated that the CCPN will save over $900,000 a year in leased line costs.
As a Carroll County-headquartered telecommunications and technology support company, Teltek applauds the CCPN and its affiliates for the time and money they have invested to turn this pipedream into a reality! Check back here for periodic progress updates on the Carroll County Fiber Network.