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Institutional Network (I-Net)

King County , WA
Population: 1,507,319
Program Year: 2003

Abstract:
In July, 1996, King County renewed the County’s AT&T committed to construct a fiber-optic network for use by the County and other public agencies. Council member Ron Sims, who new serves as the County Executive, was a driving force behind developing a broad vision for I-Net. There are a number of things that sets King County’s I-Net apart from other Institutional Networks: For the vast majority of I-Net’s customers, participation is voluntary. I-Net has operated in the black financially without the need for any subsidy from the General Fund. This is an outstanding accomplishment for a network that has been in production for less than two years; I-Net serves more tan just County agencies. School districts, suburban cities, and a variety of non-profit arts and cultural organizations all have the capability of being connected; Reliability has been excellent with 99.99% or better uptime, close to carrier grade; and The County’s vision extends beyond just creating higher speed and more affordable converged communications capabilities - it’s about fostering and creating communities of interest where agencies can share programs, services, and information that are mutually beneficial. I-Net services are being successfully provided to over 140 of the 266 constructed sites. I-Net has established itself as a credible service provider in the marketplace, particularly important in these turbulent times of telecommunications service providers.

For more information regarding individual programs, please contact the county contact person listed. For more information about NACo's Achievement Award program, please contact Kathryn Murphy