Healthcare Technology Featured Article

March 19, 2010

Healthcare Technology and News: ENA Honored with $ 14.3 Million BTOP Grant


The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has awarded a $14.3 million grant to Education Networks of America, a provider of managed Internet access and network services to schools and libraries.

ENA has received this grant to build broadband infrastructure in Indiana to enable improved education, training and connectivity access opportunities for 145 of Indiana’s underserved schools and libraries.

Through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the grant has been made possible.

The project includes an additional $4 million match and brings a combined total of $18.3 million new federal stimulus and private sector dollars to Indiana. The residential and commercial service providers after the completion of broadband infrastructure can further leverage this investment to improve access for more than 550,000 Indiana citizens and nearly 32,000 businesses.

“ENA is honored to be the recipient of this BTOP grant,” said David M. Pierce, president and CEO of ENA. “The grant award underlines the exceptional service and value that we have brought to Indiana’s school and library community anchor institutions. We are absolutely committed to a brighter future for all of Indiana’s students and citizens and are excited to begin this project.”

Through the grant, ENA will be allowed to deploy a fiber-based connectivity infrastructure that will bring enhanced speed, reliability, affordability and increased subscribership to broadband services in Indiana geographies that have lacked Internet access.  Overall the grant will help in promoting enhanced economic growth.

With the high-speed broadband Internet access and equity, as many as 216,663 households, 31,808 businesses and 630 community anchor institutions including schools, libraries, fire stations, police stations, hospitals and other critical community organizations will be able to become far better equipped to receive improved communications, distance learning, online training and access to a wide-variety of online government resources, as well as many other capabilities delivered courtesy of the information superhighway.

“Providing equity of access to broadband service for all schools and libraries in Indiana is critical to achieving our educational objectives,” Dr. John B. Keller, director of Learning Technologies for the Indiana Department of Education, said. “This grant will help move us closer to making sure all schools have fiber-based, high-speed broadband access.”

 

“We are happy to see that Indiana will benefit from the broadband expansion made available from Washington, DC, and the plan proposed by ENA should result in improved access in rural and underserved areas of Indiana,” Jim Corridan, deputy state librarian, Indiana State Library, said.

 

From the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana State Library, the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, 175 community institutions and four national associations for this project, ENA, due to a strong record of delivery performance, customer care and value, has received letters of support.

 

ENA, with its proven experience servicing thousands of schools and libraries across the U.S. as well as its long-established partnerships with vendors, is accustomed to completing over 400 new fiber installations annually.

 

In related news, the Indiana State Library has selected Education Networks of America, Inc., for a four-year contract to provide, for members of the Indiana Public Library Internet Consortium, Internet access and managed network and telecommunication services.


Deepika Mala is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Marisa Torrieri
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