FAQs
GENERAL
FIBER11 status updates, maintenance windows, and outages will be communicated through the www.FIBER11.net website and through the @FIBER11Network Twitter account. Feel free to follow this account for immediate news and updates.
FIBER11 is an acronym that stands for Fiber Infrastructure for Broadband Enhancement in Region 11.
The FIBER11 network was designed by a team of experts experienced in the design and implementation of large-scale global networks. FIBER11 utilizes Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) to transport network traffic across hundreds of miles of new fiber through districts that have volunteered to serve as Hub Sites. The network is resilient around Northern and Southern rings with instantaneous failover in the event of a fiber cut. Resiliency like this is not offered by “Big Name” ISPs.
Each circuit is meticulously tested for connectivity and signal strength tolerances utilizing OTDR and Power Meter testing before any equipment is placed in-line. The FIBER11 network core is located at the ESC11 datacenter where the network and member districts benefit from the following:
- Video surveillance 24/7/365
- Secure biometric access into the datacenter
- Two distinct 100Gb service provider connections with diverse building entrances and fiber paths
- Generator backup tested weekly
FIBER11 is funded primarily through E-rate and special construction discounts available through USAC and the TEA. The E-rate Modernization Order, coupled with Governor Greg Abbott’s Classroom Connectivity Initiative, have allowed for the consortium to make huge leaps in establishing the high-speed, high-availability broadband connectivity necessary for quality instruction for North Texas students, teachers, and administrators.
FIBER11 services are available to all member districts in the ESC Region 11 Consortium. This includes public, private, and charter schools within ESC Region 11’s geographic boundaries that have opted in to the consortium. If you aren’t sure if your district has opted in, contact your local Technology Director or Superintendent.
BILLING / CONTRACT
ESC11 Region handles the administrative E-rate side of this Category 1 project. As the Fiscal Agent for the consortium, it is ESC Region 11’s responsibility to comply with submission deadlines, audit paper trails, and project information requests.
Therefore, districts are not responsible for filing any additional paperwork through USAC directly for FIBER11 participation. ESC Region 11 will administer this for you and simply ask you to complete required documents and return them for submission.
However, this does not mean that districts do not have other E-rate responsibilities. For example, districts are still responsible for filing for their own Category 2 E-rate discounts.
FIBER11 offers pricing tiers based on student count in order to provide the steepest discounts to the smallest and most rural school districts, while remaining equitable to large school districts. Pricing shown below is “Not-To-Exceed” pricing and is contingent on FCC/TEA funding. This means that further project cost assistance from the government in the future may decrease pricing to districts, but the pricing will never increase. Pricing shown is after E-rate discounts and can not be E-rate discounted further.
FIBER11 is committed to providing the highest-quality network service possible and guarantees to meet the Service Objectives set forth in the FIBER11 Edge Site Collaborative SLA. This document is truly collaborative in that it was created based on input from all consortium members and can only be modified with a majority vote of participating consortium members. Some of the key objectives are:
- 99.99% Service Availability
- < 30 Minute Response Time
- < 2 Hour On-Site Response Time
- Packet Loss < .50%
- Latency < 20 ms
- Packet Jitter < 5 ms per 20 Minutes
The full Collaborative SLA documents are linked below:
- FIBER11 Edge Site Collaborative SLA
- FIBER11 Hub Site Collaborative SLA (Applicable to Hub Sites)
All FIBER11 services are billed on a quarterly or annual basis. We offer the flexibility of variable agreement lengths, billing dates, and billing methods and will do everything we can to fit your district’s billing needs. Here are some scenarios in which we can help:
- A district prefers a 1-year annual term
- A district prefers a 10-year term
- A district prefers to pay up front for 3 years
- A district prefers to be billed quarterly
- A district needs the agreement to begin on July 1 instead of September 1
Let us know how we can help.
INTERNET SERVICE
Reverse lookup zones are maintained for each FIBER11 client’s allocated IP space. Any reverse lookup record additions or changes can be requested through FIBER11 support.
Yes, we can configure Layer 2 services to provide connectivity with other districts. This can provide opportunities for shared services, offsite disaster recovery, and more. It is important to note that in order to provide this, both districts must be on FIBER11 connections.
FIBER11 offers 10Gb of bandwidth per Internet access circuit handed off with an SR SFP+ optic. A district with two FIBER11 Internet access circuits will have an aggregated 20Gb of available bandwidth.
If your network infrastructure does not support 10Gb fiber, we can hand off a 1Gb copper connection until you are ready to utilize your full 10Gb of available bandwidth. We will always schedule a transition discussion with each district before scheduling a cutover, where we discuss all of the details necessary to ensure a smooth service transition.
Although not required, FIBER11 is able to host public DNS zones for client districts as a primary or secondary source. In the case of hosting a primary zone, FIBER11 DNS hosting does not provide a self-service portal, so all DNS record change requests must come through FIBER11 support.
No, FIBER11 traffic comes directly to your district unfiltered.
FIBER11 is a product of the ESC Region 11 Consortium
© 2024 FIBER11
