Frontier broadband project 'on track'

Frontier is building new fiber optic broadband infrastructure for hundreds of state schools as part of a $126 million statewide project.

The funding was provided through a federal stimulus grant. It's being used to boost high-speed Internet connections to schools, libraries, courthouses and hundreds of other public buildings.

Mark McKenzie, engineering manager with Frontier Communications, told state board members Wednesday the company's portion of the project was going well.

"The good news is we're right on track with completing this middle-mile build on schedule," McKenzie said.

When Frontier's portion is complete, 463 schools will have enhanced services. Officials hope most of that work will be complete by the start of school this fall.

Frontier will construct 280 miles of new fiber for the state's K-12 schools. About 43 percent, or 121 miles worth, had been constructed as of April 30.

Of the 463 schools, 192 will be connected with new fiber optic lines.

McKenzie said as of the end of April, 95 had new fiber lines and 69 were waiting for their projects to start.

He said 28 schools were waiting on the connection to the broadband equipment, which needed to be coordinated with the state Office of Technology.

McKenzie said 271 state schools had the existing fiber optic lines and just needed new high-speed routers.

He said he expected the project to proceed on schedule.

State board member Priscilla Haden asked McKenzie to address recent reports concerning the routers used to connect schools to the broadband network.

Reports showed the routers cost more than $22,000 each and had what some experts considered excessive capacity for their intended use. More than 360 routers are sitting unused in their original boxes in various state offices, the reports said.

McKenzie said Frontier was responsible only for laying the fiber network, not for the equipment.

"Frontier does not have a role in router deployment," he said.

McKenzie said schools could have their Ethernet access delayed if the routers are not sent out on time. But he said the state technology office, not Frontier, is responsible for that.

Haden said she was worried the router issue could delay some schools' ability to access high-speed Internet.

But Board President Wade Linger and state Superintendent Jorea Marple said the school projects were on track.

"Most of the routers we're hearing about have nothing to do with the education system," Linger said.

"The routers that are education routers are on schedule," Marple said.

Linger said criticism of the project should be directed to state and federal officials who put together the grant.

"The grant application went to the federal government -- and this was a part of that -- and the federal government approved it and supplied the money to execute the plan," he said.