Bridging the Digital Divide for Rural Schools
The Columbia Gorge Education Service District (CGESD) is dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities for four rural school districts — some of the most remote in Oregon. But with schools scattered throughout Mt. Hood National Forest and the Columbia Gorge, the organization wasn’t able to complete its equitable mission for all students. The reason? Lack of broadband reliability. In places like Maupin, Oregon, if two people were streaming a video, a classroom of 30 wouldn’t have the bandwidth to take a state-mandated test.
“The equity model that we’re trying to make possible is one where a student’s education and access to resources isn’t jeopardized based on their location,” said CGESD Technology Director Cody Harmon. “Now that everything from state testing to classroom work is digital, it’s crucial for school districts not to worry about network reliability and bandwidth limitations.”
“More than ever, schools need quick, reliable internet so students can access online tools to learn,” said Bryan Adams, Director of Sales and Marketing at LS Networks. “This need for bandwidth and connectivity has skyrocketed across Oregon, in both urban and rural areas.” LS Networks was a longtime internet service provider for CGESD, partnering with the Cascade Technology Alliance to receive technology solutions through a regional consortium. While LS Networks provided the backbone connectivity for CGESD, two rural districts in Dufur and South Wasco were too far out to receive reliable connectivity.
“These rural districts were operating on T1 and microwave internet for years,” said Harmon. “But those services don’t have the bandwidth when you need to test 30–50 kids all online at the same time. When we had the opportunity to build fiber, we jumped.”
Funding Through the Federal E-Rate Program
Like many rural districts, CGESD sought federal funding to make their fiber connectivity a reality. The organization applied and received funds through the Federal E-Rate Program. Funding is offered through the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) Schools and Libraries — under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) — which assists U.S. schools and libraries to obtain affordable internet access and telecommunications services. With help from these funds, CGESD needed a telecom provider that could not only provide 1-gigabit services, but could actually build fiber to these remote regions.
LS Networks offered that solution and began construction of a customized fiber network in 2016. As the third-largest funding recipient in the Pacific Northwest of the E-Rate Program, LS Networks services schools and districts outside the Portland and Seattle metros. In total, LS Networks supports 62 Northwest school districts, providing broadband access to approximately 290,000 students. “It was a herculean effort on part of LS Networks to build the infrastructure we needed,” said Harmon. “They really are the only one in the region offering that level of network customization. We are talking about a level of connectivity that is unprecedented for a community of that size.”
“When we sat down with telecom providers to discuss how to make this happen, the response was always, ‘we don’t offer that service in that region, but here’s what we can do,’” said Harmon. “The solution was always using old technology to fill the gaps, but that’s not what we were looking for. We needed a true fiber solution.”
Equitable Access to Technology
CGESD now offers rural 1A school districts the same caliber of broadband as 5A school districts located right off the main network infrastructure. Rural schools like those in Durfur, Oregon, can now participate in robotics programs, use Chromebooks in the classroom, and access the internet quickly for state testing, research and more.
“We are excited to offer rural schools and districts the bandwidth needed to connect students with the online tools they need to succeed,” said Adams.
Headquartered in Portland, Ore., LS Networks is committed to the community and is owned by a collective of rural electric cooperatives and a Native American business enterprise, including over 60,000 citizens and communities. We’re not about the money. We’re about the service to and for our customers.
“It’s a huge paradigm shift in terms of supporting our education mission and state testing requirements,” said Harmon. “LS Networks has a reputation for extreme reliability and steadfast service offering. For our teachers and students this translates to more access and resources in the classroom.”
Media Contact:
Dan Swanson, VP Marketing
971-361-9765
dswanson@LSNetworks.net
Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!
Subscribe to our Blog!
Related Content
Bridging The Digital Divide in Maupin, OR
In early 2019, LS Networks completed a $2 million project connecting Maupin, Oregon to LSN’s best-in-the-west fiber optic network. The project brings blinding ONE GIG speeds to Maupin’s 430 residents at prices unheard [...]
Douglas Fast Net Case Study
Douglas Fast Net is a subsidiary of Douglas Electric Cooperative in Roseburg, Oregon. The company started offering faster telecommunications to Douglas County in 2002. For years, DFN operated with a common broadband model [...]
Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce Case Study
More than 850 local businesses belong to the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce. The chamber promotes pride in diverse communities through positive, active leadership aimed at creating cohesive, successful businesses in Yakima County. [...]
Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Inc. Case Study
Laurence Colman helps the most vulnerable members of a community. As Chief Medical Officer at Greater Oregon Behavioral Health Inc. (GOBHI), he oversees “wraparound initiatives” which work with children who have experienced trauma [...]
Columbia Gorge Education Service District
With help from the Federal E-Rate Program, LS Networks was able to build a custom fiber network and provide 1-gigabit services to rural schools in the Columbia Gorge Education Service District. The bandwidth and connectivity now allows schools to access e-learning tools, stream videos and administer state-mandated online tests.
Medford Radiology Group Case Study
LS Networks engineering team collaborated with The Medford Radiology Group on the design of a custom-built, high-capacity network, increasing the organization’s network bandwidth, performance and security capabilities.
