Re: Notice of Ex Parte Communication, WC Docket No

Transcription

1 February 21, 2014 Ms. Marlene H. Dortch Federal Communication Commission th Street SW Washington, DC Re: Notice of Ex Parte Communication, WC Docket No Dear Ms. Dortch: On February 5, 2014, Gary Rawson, Mississippi State E-Rate Coordinator spoke, via telephone with Charles Eberle and Soumitra Das of the Federal Communications Commission. Mr. Rawson discussed the attached presentation that details Mississippi s recently updated Internet access and transport services master contract with AT&T. In the last two years Mississippi has increased efforts to connect all K-12 schools to fiber in order to deliver increased bandwidth and migrate off the state s MPLS network structure. All 152 school districts now have fiber connections, and all schools within the AT&T footprint that have requested fiber services now have fiber. Exceptions are found in a few of the Independent Telephone Company Areas. AT&T is the largest Internet provider in Mississippi. Schools and districts are migrating toward a centralized network model under which schools are on a wide area network (WAN) that connects to a Managed Internet Service (MIS) at the district data center via fiber. The previous network design was decentralized, with many schools connected directly to the MPLS cloud and to a shared Internet service. School districts, libraries, and state agencies with fiber connections can purchase Internet access and Metro Ethernet transport at the attached rates. MPLS attached Internet access includes filtering and firewall services, but the new MIS does not. The Mississippi Department of Education pays for K-12 Internet Access and broadband connectivity to school districts. Those connections are purchased off a state master contract. Not all school districts in Mississippi will purchase service under the master contract because many have performed their own procurement and have chosen other providers. Those school districts have entered into their own multi-year contract for broadband services or Internet access. Mr. Rawson noted that Mississippi revisits its contract with AT&T every two years and negotiates lower rates and more advanced services based on research into available pricing and services offered by in-state competitors as well as by providers in other states. Respectfully submitted, /s/ Charles Eberle Attorney-Adviser, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau Attachment

2 Mississippi State Master Contract Gary Rawson Mississippi State E rate Coordinator 02/05/2014

3 School District (MPLS) High School Internet 21 meg total High School Service Provider MPLS Cloud Schools connect directly to Cloud (not District) to get Internet Access Elementary School Attendance Center Vocational Education Middle School Elementary School

4 School District (Metro Ethernet) 100 Meg Internet Access District Office High School Service Provider Cloud 1000 meg (new circuit) 1000 meg High School Attendance Center Elementary School Vocational Education Middle School Elementary School

5 MPLS Districts at time of data gathering 81 districts out of 152 have at least some of their schools that connect directly to MPLS attached Internet 470 schools out of 1072 connect to the internet this way Information provided by the Mississippi Department of Education

6 District WAN Before Cost Location After Cost Diff. (MPLS) (MPLS) (M/E) (M/E) High School 3 meg $ m $750 $575 Elementary School 1.5 meg $ m $750 $168 Elementary School 1.5 meg $ m $750 $168 Middle School 1.5 meg $ m $750 $168 Vocational Ed. 1.5 meg $ m $750 $168 Attendance Center 3 meg $ m $750 $575 High School 3 meg $ m $750 $575 School District Pay 1000 m $750 $750 Totals for District Connectivity Increasing bandwidth from 21 meg to 8000 meg MDE Pays for Internet Access Increasing from 21 meg to 100 meg MDE Pays for Circuit to district Converting from 6 meg circuit to MIS which does not require a circuit 21 meg $ m $6000 $ meg $ meg $1021 $706 6 meg $1800

7 ISP ISP Internet Cloud FF FF Metro e 10 $ $500 $750

8 ISP ISP MIS Internet Cloud MIS FF 50 $ $ $ $3817 $5874 FF

9 Changing Rates of State Master Contract Available Current MPLS Attached Internet Cost MPLS Internet MIS Metro E Proposed MPLS Attached Internet Cost Metro E Circuit Bandwidth Current Metro E Circuit Cost Proposed Metro E Circuit Cost Cost MIS Current MIS Proposed Cost Cost Savings Bandwidth Cost MIS Cost Savings Savings $ 15 $ 5 $ $ 1,887 $ 970 $ $ $ $ 100 $ 2,735 $ 1,021 $ 1, $ $ $ $ 6,105 $ 1,773 $ 4, $ 1, $ $ $ 9,453 $ 3,817 $ 5, $ 14,811 $ 5,874 $ 8,937