Tagged: NEN

REANNZ Connected Schools and their Network Use

Value for Schools Being Part of the REANNZ Community is Demonstrated

We have recently completed projects to monitor schools network traffic. The Mid Canterbury Schools cluster connected to the REANNZ Network in 2011. During Term 2, 2012, as part of a project for the Ministry of Education, we monitored the traffic that this cluster of 23 schools generated. The data collected clearly shows the value of being part of the REANNZ community.

The numbers - for the total cluster traffic:

    • 48.5% travelled over the REANNZ Network
    • 26.7% came across REANNZ’s international link from Sydney
    • 33.3% was sourced from New Zealand based caches

Once a school is connected and part of the REANNZ community they have “all you can eat” access to the network for a fixed fee, unlike most ISPs.

The more content and services that are available on our network, the greater the value is to our members. Through our “settlement-free-peering policy” REANNZ is continuously adding content to the network, meaning that as more content is carried on the REANNZ Network, ISP fees that our members have to pay, will go down.

Find the report here, and see our website if you want to join the REANNZ community.

Are you interested in how well your home, school or work broadband connection is? Join the thousands who have tested and compared their ISP’s performance on the New Zealand Broadband Test website.

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A further 23 schools connect to KAREN

Another 23 Greater Christchurch Schools Network schools connect to KAREN.

Connection of Christchurch NEN trial extension schools completed

This week we celebrated the connection of an additional 23 Greater Christchurch Schools Network (GCSN) schools to the National Education Network Trial Extension. This brings the number of GCSN National Education Network Trial Extension schools on KAREN to 30, and completes this component of the project.

We welcomed the first seven Christchurch NEN extension schools back in October: Seven schools welcomed to KAREN (18 October 2010)

More information

KAREN member list
NEN trial extension

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Seven Schools Welcomed to KAREN

We’re really pleased to welcome seven schools from the Christchurch area to the KAREN community.

Welcome to KAREN…

  • Christchurch Boys’ High School
  • Fendalton Open Air School
  • Mairehau High School
  • Papanui High School
  • Riccarton High School
  • Shirley Boys’ High School
  • Villa Maria College

These schools are the 1st seven schools from the 30 GCSN (Greater Christchurch Schools Network) schools that will connect to KAREN by the end of the year. They join Christ’s College that has been a KAREN member since the original NEN trial and Rangi Rangi Ruru Girls’ College that has been an independent member of KAREN since earlier this year.

Greater Christchurch Schools Network

The Greater Christchurch Schools Network (GCSN) is a community of educators, learners and service providers in Christchurch. GCSN’s aim is to create a community of connected schools, teaching professionals and educational resources in the greater Christchurch region utilising the high-speed fibre optic infrastructure being installed by Enable Networks.

The development of GCSN began in 2006, and is supported by Canterbury Development Corporation, Enable Networks and CORE Education.

Greater Christchurch Schools Network (http://www.gcsn.school.nz)

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NEN trial extension updates

We’re keeping schools up to date with progress on the National Education Network trial extension via the ICT in schools magazine, Interface. If you’re interested in this project, you too can now see these regular updates on our website.

Keeping up to date on the NEN

To keep schools informed on our progress, REANNZ is publishing a regular project update in Interface Magazine. If you don’t subscribe to Interface, or missed an earlier article you can find them here:

These will be available from our NEN: information for schools page following their formal publication in the hard copy of Interface Magazine (http://www.interfacemagazine.co.nz/).

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NEN Edge Router RFP issued

REANNZ released a RFP for edge routers for the National Education Network trial extension last night.

NEN RFP released

A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued last night by REANNZ for the supply of Layer 3 ethernet routers for schools participating in the National Education Network (NEN) Trial Extension.  REANNZ has been contracted by the Ministry of Education to procure network components, including routers, for up to 200 schools that are being invited to participate in the NEN trial extension which runs until June 2011.

The NEN provides dedicated network connectivity for schools using KAREN and provides high speed, unrestricted broadband (100 Mb/s or greater) to schools. The purpose of the NEN router is to allow trial schools to gain access to KAREN and commodity internet services using local fibre networks.

Copies of the RFP can be obtained from the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) at www.gets.govt.nz. The RFP, titled Supply of Routers for the National Education Network is document number 29480 on GETS.  Tenders must be submitted by 4pm on 14 May 2010.

All communications relating to this RFP, or requests for clarification or further information, should be directed in writing to nen-rfp@reannz.co.nz

More information

About the NEN trial extension

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NEN: Invitation to schools

If your school has open-access fibre or will have by June 2010, we want to hear from you. We’re holding executive briefings with Principals of schools that may qualify to participate in the National Education Network trial extension, beginning 15 February. We encourage you to register your interest now.

Invitation to participate in the NEN trial

In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, we’ve issued an invitation to schools that we think already have access to fibre through an open-access provider or that expect to have access by 30 June 2010, to take part in the NEN extension.

School meetings

Executive briefings with Principals of schools that may qualify for the trial will be held 15 February – 2 March in five locations across the country. These briefings will discuss the goals of the trial and explain what the implications might be for participating schools. Briefings are being held 12.30 to 2.00pm at the following locations/dates:

  • North Shore, Monday 15 February
  • Christchurch, Tuesday 16 February
  • Wellington, Wednesday 17 February
  • Nelson, Monday 22 February
  • Palmerston North, Tuesday 2 March

A light lunch will be served from midday at each briefing. Visit our schools information page for more details and to register for a meeting:

NEN: Information for schools

NEN School Survey

To register your interest in participating in the NEN trial extension, please complete the schools survey by Friday 26 February 2010.  This will provide us with the necessary information to proceed with detailed planning for connecting your school to the NEN.

NEN Schools Survey

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NEN: Workshop for suppliers

Suppliers of network infrastructure and networked education services are invited to attend a NEN workshop. These workshops, to be held 15 February – 2 March in five locations across the country, will outline the project scope and the expected timeframe for the procurement of key network components.

Invitation to National Education Network Workshops

Suppliers of network infrastructure and networked education services are invited to participate in a workshop to discuss the implementation of a National Education Network.

In December last year, we advised suppliers that REANNZ had been tasked by the Ministry of Education with the central procurement of services for the National Education Network (NEN) trial extension.  We also indicated that we would be arranging workshops for interested suppliers during February 2010.

These workshops are to be held in the following centres:

  • North Shore, Monday 15 February
  • Christchurch, Tuesday 16 February
  • Wellington, Wednesday 17 February
  • Nelson, Monday 22 February
  • Palmerston North, Tuesday 2 March

We have scheduled these workshops in the areas where a number of schools are already connected by open-access fibre. Each supplier workshop is scheduled for 7.15 – 9.30 am. A light breakfast will be served.

Workshop content

While we are still at an early stage of the implementation of the project, at the workshops we would like to outline the project scope and the expected timeframe for the procurement of key network components, including:

  • Provision of cluster/town mass access network devices (distribution routers)
  • Provision of school edge Layer 3 devices
  • Regionally based support (network cluster wranglers)
  • Commodity Internet
  • Commodity Internet filtering
  • Local access services between the KAREN Point of Presence (PoP) and the schools with a target minimum of 100Mb/s symmetric Ethernet
  • Installation and configuration services to ensure the service is connected and configured properly in each school
  • Expansion of KAREN to new PoPs for rural clusters, if required

We welcome the involvement of organisations interested in providing services for the National Education Network to join us at one of these workshops to hear more about our plans and share your ideas.

How to register

To register, please contact Martha Bouterey at REANNZ:

phone: 04 913 1090
email: martha.bouterey@reannz.co.nz

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Implementation manager for NEN trial extension joins REANNZ

REANNZ is excited to welcome Laurence Zwimpfer as the Implementation Manager of the National Education Network trial extension.

NEN Implementation Manager appointed

The National Education Network (NEN) took a step forward today with the appointment of an Implementation Manager. Laurence Zwimpfer has joined the REANNZ team to manage the expansion of the NEN trial from the existing 20 schools to 200.  Laurence is an education technology consultant who has spent the last 25 years helping schools and other education organisations deploy information and communications technologies.

REANNZ has been operating a NEN trial connecting schools to KAREN since 2008.  Late last year the Government announced an expansion of the trial to 200 schools over the next 18 months.

Laurence is excited to have the opportunity to help lead this next phase in the development of a National Education Network, that he hopes one day will reach all schools.  He has been chairing The Wellington Loop, a cluster of Wellington secondary schools connected by a gigabit fibre network, for the last three years, and the NEN project will allow many more schools to benefit.

The first priority will be a series of workshops, to be held in February, to brief suppliers and others interested in providing network services for the expanded trial. Schools close to existing fibre infrastructure will also be identified, as the NEN trial extension will not provide for new fibre infrastructure.

“We are aware that the Government’s $1.5B ultra-fast broadband programme will progressively provide high speed connectivity for all schools, but the opportunity we have with the NEN extension is to do something with the fibre already in place,” said Laurence.

“Our experience in connecting 200 schools will ensure that good implementation models are in place as the fibre networks reach the remaining 2000+ schools.”

More information

National Education Network

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NEN extension: collecting your questions

Check out our updated National Education Network page for some new details on REANNZ’s part in the trial extension, and how you can start contributing.

Who’s doing what

What part is REANNZ playing in the NEN trial extension? And how about the Ministry of Education? We’ve updated the NEN page on our website with some more information around the respective roles of REANNZ and the Ministry of Education to help answer this question.

NEN page: KAREN website

Start contributing

Once the NEN Implementation Manager joins REANNZ, we’ll be able to answer any specific questions you have around the trial. Until this time we encourage you to contribute your ideas and questions to the NEN discussion page on the KAREN wiki.

NEN page | KAREN wiki

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Vacancies (2): NEN team

EANNZ is seeking applications for two new positions within the National Education Network team – School Liaison Specialist and Technical Procurement Specialist.

Applications for the NEN Implemenation Manager position advertised at the beginning of this month are due to REANNZ today.

Schools Liaison Specialist

The Government committed to connect, in the next 12-18 months, the first 10% of New Zealand’s schools to a high-speed National Education Network (NEN) based on KAREN.  REANNZ, as the operator of KAREN, has been tasked with the implementation and ongoing operation of the NEN trial.

We are seeking a Schools Liaison Specialist, reporting to the NEN Implementation Manager to join the NEN project team.

The Schools Liaison Specialist must have:

  • Knowledge of the current schools ICT and networking landscape in NZ.
  • Knowledge of key network suppliers to the education sector, across NZ.
  • Strong relationships with schools sector, including leading eLearning and technology adopters.
  • Understanding of government procurement processes.
  • Understanding of broadband networking technologies.
  • The ability to make potentially complex and technical concepts and solutions easily understood.

Key responsibilities will include:

  • Supporting the identification, preparation and connection of clusters of schools, and individual schools to the network.
  • Supporting and encouraging prompt, high quality decision-making from participant schools.
  • Engaging with a range of stakeholders, both technical and non-technical, to ensure well informed and efficient procurement.
  • Promoting an understanding of the NEN goals with end-users, and raising internal understanding of end-user challenges.

The NEN team will be based in Wellington, and ideally the successful candidate will be available to start late January/early February 2010.  Please submit you CV with full contact details to dave.russell@reannz.co.nz by January 15th 2010.

Technical Procurement Specialist

The Government committed to connect, in the next 12-18 months, the first 10% of New Zealand’s schools to a high-speed National Education Network (NEN) based on KAREN.  REANNZ, as the operator of KAREN, has been tasked with the implementation and ongoing operation of the NEN trial.

We are seeking a Technical Procurement Specialist, reporting to the NEN Implementation Manager to join the NEN project team.

The Technical Procurement Specialist must have:

  • Experience in the delivery of complex, multi-faceted projects in an infrastructure environment, preferably telecommunications.
  • Knowledge of broadband networking, including Ethernet over fibre networks.
  • Experience in technology review, product selection, product research, network planning & broadband solutions delivery.
  • Knowledge around the integration of the various different elements of connectivity and broadband implementations.
  • Programme reporting and milestone management expertise.
  • The ability to co-ordinate multiple projects within an overall programme with a strong focus on delivery against deadlines.
  • Expertise in the development, administration and maintenance of project documentation.

Key responsibilities will include:

  • Leading and managing the procurement of the technical elements of the NEN.
  • Interacting with technical and non-technical stakeholders and team members.
  • Managing the end-to-end RFP processes for all procurements, within Govt public procurement obligations, whilst being pragmatic and outcome focused.
  • Contributing to the development of the strategic approach to the NEN implementation.

The NEN team will be based in Wellington, and ideally the successful candidate will be available to start late January/early February 2010. Please submit you CV with full contact details to dave.russell@reannz.co.nz by January 15th 2010.

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