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NSCC Executive Summary CBG Communications, Inc. <br />III. Summary of Major Findings Related to the Institutional Network <br />CBG worked with the NSCC, CTV staff and I -Net users to gain an understanding of the <br />current stale of the 1 -Net, how it is performing, what changes need to be made and the <br />perceived value of the network. <br />• Background Information <br />The I -Net serving CTV and the member cities of the NSCC is comprised of two, <br />primarily separate yet related, networks. Corncast provides a fiber optic based network <br />that offers connectivity to approximately 26 locations, including the ten member cities' <br />city halls and municipal buildings, Ramsey County libraries, school district buildings, <br />and the T.I.E.S. building. CTV, NSCC and the institutions provide all of the end user <br />equipment required to light up or activate the fiber optic portion of the institutional <br />network. <br />In addition to the fiber optic based network, Comeast also provides a I -IFC based network <br />that utilizes fiber optic infrastructure to send and receive signals to /from nodes located at <br />each of the city halls in the NSCC franchise area. At each of the nodes, forward <br />(downstream) signals are transformed from light, on the fiber optic infrastructure, to <br />Radio Frequencies (RF) for insertion onto the coaxial cable infrastructure for <br />transmission and distribution to institutions served by the particular node. Forward <br />(downstream) services include all analog video programming channels and data <br />transmissions to institutions using the HFC system for data transport. In addition, the <br />nodes receive return (upstream) RF signals from institutions via the coaxial infrastructure <br />which feeds these signals into the node. The node converts these signals to light for <br />transmission, via the fiber optic infrastructure, to the CTV Master Control. Some return <br />signals include upstream data and video origination services. <br />• Fiber Optic I -Net <br />The fiber optic based I -Net is used at approximately 26 locations today. Based on our <br />discussions with NSCC and CTV staff, and staff representing the libraries, schools and <br />cities, the fiber 1 -Net that is in place today is serving a significant data transportation need <br />xii <br />25 <br />