Feasibility Study for a Statewide Higher Education Information Technology
Network
State of Connecticut, September 18, 1996
Recommended Technology Scenario
- When comparing all scenarios, the recommended approach for the State of
Connecticut is Scenario V - "Public ATM". Although ATM is a much
newer technology than Frame Relay, ISDN, and dedicated digital lines,
several benefits associated with this technology cannot be overlooked. These
include:
- Efficient handling of video and data today; Integration of voice,
video, and data in the future
- Extremely high bandwidth potential (45 Mbps offered today - 155+ Mbps
in the future). This is the best technology for handling multiple
real-time video communications simultaneously, which is intrinsic to
distance learning.
- A public ATM network would be easy to scale. Connectivity can be
provided to higher education institutions, K-12, and libraries via
either new ATM hardware or existing router technologies.
- ATM pricing is continuously going down as more products are added to
the market and the technology continues to mature. Once the
legislative/budget process is finished, the design/procurement phase
should face a more favorable pricing structure.
- Scenario I - "Status Quo" is not optimal, because data services
rely upon the Internet, and no medium for video services is provided under
this solution. Scenario II - "Status Quo plus video" introduces a
new technology into the higher education environment (ISDN) that most likely
will be accompanied by exorbitant costs. Scenario III - "Private Frame
Relay" is costly to manage and lacks the fault tolerance provided by a
public service. Furthermore, a privately maintained voice network will most
likely have minimal (if any) cost savings (once design / maintenance /
management of the network is taken into account). Finally, Scenario IV -
"Public Frame Relay" is limited to T1 speeds in most areas, and is
not a strategic direction for video services.
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