California’s public libraries are connecting to a high-speed broadband system for research institutions and schools as part of the latest expansion to a 3,800-mile fiber network called CalREN.
Operated by the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), the California Research and Education Network (CalREN) serves 85 percent of the state’s K-12 schools and many of the state’s major universities.
At least 125 library jurisdictions have signed on to connect in the first two years, CENIC said in an August update. The libraries are being connected in partnership with the California State Library and Califa.
For each library, CENIC said the circuits required to complete the connection are published via an RFP.
“By going through this process, libraries have the opportunity to bring their network infrastructure and connectivity up to the highest standards," said Califa’s Executive Director Susan Hildreth. "Most libraries participating in Year 1 of the High-Speed Broadband in California Libraries project will enjoy speeds of up to 1 Gbps, and a number of libraries will be receiving connectivity of 10 Gbps, the highest in the nation. One library jurisdiction that is planning to connect to CalREN in Year 2 has indicated an interest in connecting at 100 Gbps, putting them on par with the leading research universities in the world.”
