YOUR FIBRE CONNECTION Information for schools Fibre to state and state integrated schools
Contents Introduction... 3 Process for your fibre connection... 4 Ministry s role in the connection process... 5 What happens next - Service connection... 5 When will services be available?... 5 Ultra-fast broadband how much will it cost?... 5 Your fibre connection other frequently asked questions... 6
Project Overview State school Introduction Congratulations! You are receiving this information pack because fibre is about to be rolled out in your area. This is the first step towards your school having access to ultrafast broadband. Ultra-fast broadband access is currently understood to be a connection capable of up to 100Mbps. Schools that are already connected to fibre report that the increased bandwidth and connection speeds deliver a range of benefits such as: improved performance of high bandwidth services such as streaming TV ability for schools to participate in online learning communities more opportunity to create, collaborate and connect online greater range of subject choices for students via distance learning more effective assessment practices and administrative efficiencies The Government has prioritised schools in its ultra-fast broadband roll out in recognition of the increasing use of technology in education delivery. As a state/state-integrated school, you will receive a fully-funded connection to the fibre being deployed in your area. This is also known as a fibre drop and covers the section of fibre that runs from your school boundary across the grounds and into an agreed termination point within your school (usually your server). There are three steps to being able to access ultra-fast broadband: 1. Deployment This is where new fibre is laid in your school s area or street. 2. Fibre connection (drop) This is when your school gets connected to the fibre in the street. 3. Service connection This is when you have selected a retailer who can provide internet services over the fibre (also known as a retail service provider). Only when you have service connection, can you use ultra-fast broadband. Page 3
Process for your fibre connection 1. Please read this guide and then discuss the information with your Board. 2. Please complete and return the enclosed forms and any other relevant documentation in order for the fibre drop to proceed. The forms cover permission to proceed with deployment, identification of the point where fibre will be connected into your school and nomination of school contacts during the installation. Important note: the fibre being installed will deliver 100Mpbs capability and should be sufficient for most schools ICT needs in the medium term. If you are a larger school with especially high ICT use, please refer to question 4 on page 7. If you believe that your requirements may exceed 100Mpbs in the short term, please email your details to ufb.schools@minedu.govt.nz and the Schools Connection Project Manager will contact you to discuss your specific requirements before you complete and return the forms to us. 3. The Ministry will check the completed documentation and pass it on to your local fibre provider who will then respond to you with a proposed deployment route, method and schedule. 4. After you ve checked and accepted the proposal, the provider will arrange contractors to install your fibre drop to Government standards. 5. The installation itself should take no longer than a week. Following installation you will need to sign and return a Certificate of Completion to confirm the job is completed to your satisfaction. Fibre Drop Process School School receives fibre drop information Forms completed and sent to MoE School approves proposal School confirms job complete start Ministry of Education oversight & management function end Fibre Provider Site visit arranged if required Fibre drop proposal sent to school Fibre installed Page 4
Ministry s role in the connection process The Ministry s dedicated School Connection Support Advisor will provide guidance and oversight of the fibre connection process. This includes mediation in the unlikely event that any issues arise that cannot be resolved directly with the contractor. We will also arrange police vetting of all contractors to ensure safety of your staff and students. What happens next - Service connection Building the physical fibre network is only the first step towards ultra-fast broadband access. Providers have to agree to use the network, and then develop fibre-enabled products and services to run over it. In turn, those services need to be tested to make sure they work. When retailers are ready, they will promote their products and services to customers. A helpful analogy when thinking about ultra-fast broadband access is that of a standard phone line being put into your school. While all the hardware and technology might be in place and ready, you can t use the telephone until you have an account with a telecommunications provider. Ultra-fast broadband is just the same. Until you ve signed a contract with a retail service provider, your school won t be able to use ultra-fast broadband. When will services be available? Because ultra-fast broadband over fibre is new, New Zealand providers will take time to develop service offers especially for schools. This means services over the fibre may be available in different areas at different times depending on where the new fibre network has been built and products have been tested. It is likely that as soon as retailers have services available for schools in your region, they will contact you directly. The Ministry will also publish a list of service providers who have indicated that they are able to provide fibre-based services to schools on our website. Once services arrive in your area, you can keep using your copper connection until you have identified a retail service provider that will meet your needs. Ultra-fast broadband how much will it cost? While your fibre connection is fully funded, your school will have to meet the cost of internet access and services via an internet service provider as you currently do now. We recommend that you do not sign a contract for any longer than two years to ensure you can take advantage of any offers we may be able to negotiate on behalf of schools at a later date. To keep the cost of ultra-fast broadband access down, you may wish to work collectively with other schools to buy access and services as a group. If your needs are similar, you could ask for a service with common specifications (eg access speeds, VOIP, email). It will be worth comparing offers to get the best deal you can, especially for an initial two year contract. Page 5
It is important to note the cost of a service which offers bandwidth in excess of 100Mbps is likely to be significantly higher. Upgrading to this service at a later date, if needed, will require a relatively simple change to your connection at a cost in the vicinity of $500 - $1,000 for most schools. It s helpful to start thinking about your requirements and ways you could work with other schools as soon as you can, to establish what will work best for your school. Following the successful installation of your fibre connection you can talk with our School Connection Support Advisor via ufb.schools@minedu.govt.nz. as required, to enable you to make an informed decision about any retail services you may wish to purchase over the fibre. Your fibre connection other frequently asked questions 1. What if I m happy with my current broadband connection? The fully funded fibre drop should still proceed to ensure your school can benefit from the improved speeds offered by ultra-fast broadband access at a later date. However if you feel your existing broadband service is adequate for your school s needs over the next few years, you don t have to switch to using fibre immediately. 2. Will ultra fast broadband cost more than my regular internet service? So far, only a few providers have announced what they will be charging for fibre-enabled internet services in locations where the roll out of Government fibre is currently underway. Their offers have been comparable with prices currently paid by schools for their existing internet services. As the roll out progresses and more providers launch services for schools, a clearer overall picture will emerge. Ultimately, the cost will depend on the services and applications you want to use and how many of these you want guaranteed access to at any one time. As well as improving speed and bandwidth, ultra-fast broadband over fibre can also offer cost efficiencies. For example, you could reduce your current telecommunications costs by replacing your existing phone service with Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) which runs over your ultra-fast broadband connection. 3. What fibre connection speed will I need? The Government has committed to providing 97% of schools with ultra-fast broadband connections capable of up to 100Mbps. This will meet the majority of schools needs over the next few years. Although the basic fibre connections provided will be capable of 100Mbps, many schools may opt for a lower bandwidth service over their connection initially, to ensure they are only paying for what they need. Page 6
4. What if I m likely to need more than 100Mbps straight away? A few larger schools may require more than 100Mbps capability to begin with. Examples of situations when you might exceed this capability: more than 500 students going online at the same time accessing more than 20 different high definition TV channels or video content e.g. YouTube, TVNZ OnDemand, etv, at the same time widespread use of high definition video conferencing including Skype video calling more than 10 closed circuit TV cameras monitored by an external security company having your servers hosted offsite frequently accessed files or applications stored or hosted offsite plans to host servers that will be shared by other schools If you believe any of the scenarios above may apply to you then please email ufb.schools@minedu.govt.nz with your details and the School Connection Project manager will contact you to discuss your specific requirements, before you complete and return your forms. It is important to note the cost of a service which offers bandwidth in excess of 100Mbps is likely to be significantly higher. Upgrading to this service at a later date, if needed, is relatively simple and is likely to cost in the vicinity of $500 - $1,000 for most schools. 5. Does the fibre drop mean we can t continue to use our existing, copper connection? You can continue to use your existing service if/until you choose to use the fibre. The copper infrastructure won t be removed as part of this or any other planned activity. 6. What if I want to use the fibre but retain some of my existing services? This is certainly possible you will need to discuss your needs with your chosen service provider. 7. What s the difference between this and the School Network Upgrade Project? The School Network Upgrade Project (SNUP) upgrades schools internal data and electrical cabling infrastructure, improving internal network performance. A school does not have to have a SNUP upgrade to connect to, and use ultra-fast broadband over fibre. 8. If the fibre drop is funded does this mean I get free broadband? The fibre drop only provides physical connection to the fibre. To access ultrafast broadband you will need to pay for access to the network as well as any services you choose such as VOIP, internet or email. Page 7
9. When will my school be connected? The confirmed timing for your school to be connected will be provided in the fibre provider s proposal. While schools are being prioritised, the schedule is primarily driven by the roll out schedule for fibre in the community by the fibre provider. 10. My school has been through the SNUP process, does that mean I ll have fibre deployed ahead of schools that have yet to complete the process? No, the timing is set by the roll out schedule for fibre in your area agreed between your fibre provider and the Government. 11. What if the proposed deployment date doesn t suit? To keep the costs down the school is expected to make every effort to align with the roll out schedule of the fibre provider. However if absolutely necessary you may be able to negotiate with the provider to agree a date convenient to you both. 12. Can I put the fibre drop on hold and still have it funded? No, the fibre drop is only fully-funded under the scheduled rollout of fibre to your region. If you choose not to proceed with the fibre drop within the timeframe of the provider s installation schedule, you will need to pay for the drop yourself at a later date. 13. I d prefer the fibre to be laid underground, what if the contractor proposes an overhead method, do I have a say? The fibre provider is obliged to provide the most cost effective solution. If you would like an alternative design at increased cost your school must fund the difference in cost. 14. How and with whom do I raise concerns and issues that I can t resolve with the lead-in provider? In the first instance you should contact our School Connection Support Advisor via ufb.schools@minedu.govt.nz. They will escalate your concerns to the School Connection Project Manager if necessary. 15. I m concerned about having contractors on-site, what safeguards are in place? All contractors will be police vetted before being allowed on site. 16. How long will the deployment take? The fibre provider will be best placed to advise how long the deployment will take as each school will have different features that could affect the installation e.g. a greater distance from the boundary to school buildings, or having to drill through rock or ensure protection of heritage buildings. In most cases, it is unlikely that the deployment will take longer than a week. 17. What if I m not satisfied with the deployment outcome? The Completion Certificate specifies certain criteria that have to be met prior to sign-off. If you re not satisfied, you can record your concerns as comments within the Completion Certificate and return to the provider for resolution. If these are unable to be resolved, contact the Ministry s Connection Support Advisor, who will escalate to the School Connection Project Manager if necessary. Page 8
18. What will happen to my existing services & internet connections? You can continue to use your existing service if/until you choose to use the fibre connection. However you won t benefit from the new fibre until you change to a fibre enabled service from your existing copper based service. The copper infrastructure won t be removed as part of this or any other planned activity. 19. Will my broadband speeds be noticeably faster over fibre? In most cases, you should certainly notice the difference. However the speeds you experience will depend on several factors including whether your traffic is local or international and the service you ve purchased. Speed and capacity may also be limited by the quality of your internal networks, if your school hasn t been through the School Network Upgrade Project process (for more information, see: www.minedu.govt.nz/networks). 20. Is there likely to be a limit to how much data we can download/upload over fibre? Most internet service providers do impose data caps to enable a set rate to be offered. You will need to check and if necessary negotiate appropriate caps with your chosen internet service provider before signing any agreements. 21. How will I decide which internet service is right for my school? The Ministry is developing guidelines to help schools make a considered decision on service provision. You can contact the Ministry directly should you have further queries. Your choice is likely to depend on: the level of your requirements your ICT budget what is available in your area and when. You can contact the Ministry s Connection Support Advisor via ufb.schools@minedu.govt.nz if you need advice about choosing an internet service. 22. What is the maximum period that the Ministry recommends for a contract for internet service provision over fibre? If possible we recommend committing to a term no longer than two years, to ensure you can take advantage of any offers we can secure for schools at a later date. 23. Will I have to change my Internet Service Provider to take advantage of the fibre? You may need to change your Internet Service Provider to take advantage of fibre. If so you should consider the term of your existing contract, when fibrecompatible internet services are expected to be available in your area, and whether you will incur exit penalties by switching. Further questions? Email ufb.schools@minedu.govt.nz or call 0800 22 5542. Page 9