Networking & Wireless

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Deploys Private Optical Network

• By Leila Meyer
• 02/17/16

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (CFISD) in Texas is upgrading to a 100 gigabit private optical network to support a bring-your-own-technology (BYOT) policy and improve access to Web-based educational resources.

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD serves 114,000 students and employs 14,000 staff members at more than 100 campuses and service centers. High school students and staff members bring as many as three mobile devices to school with them, straining network capacity. The district also has a vision of "providing students and staff 'Anytime, Anywhere' broadband access so they can easily interact and collaborate with peers and engage in distance learning initiatives," according to a news release.

With the help of E-rate funding, the district is supporting its BYOT policy and vision of anytime, anywhere broadband access. "Our mission is to maximize every student's potential through rigorous and relevant learning experiences by preparing students to be 21st century global learners," said Frankie Jackson, chief technology officer of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, in a prepared statement. "To achieve it, we are proactively building a high-capacity network that will support the increased demands of wireless technologies, mobile devices and high-speed connectivity."

The new network is designed in accordance with the Smart Education Networks by Design (SEND) Initiative through the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN). The network itself is a collaboration between Phonoscope Lightwave and Ciena. Ciena's 6500 Packet-Optical Platform and 5160 Service Aggregation Switch will provide high-capacity connectivity between the school district's six main hubs and three data centers through Phonoscope Lightwave's dark fiber network footprint, according to a news release. The network will also connect the district's educational campuses and three data centers. Phonoscope Lightwave will provide managed services over the new network.