I-Light Update

The I-Light network will be connecting 21 Ivy Tech campuses to the I-Light backbone as a part of a $25.1M federal stimulus grant to build out fiber connectivity for remaining Ivy Tech campuses. Like all I-Light investment, this continues a great private-public partnership for the fiber build with a commercial firm. Zayo Bandwidth, formerly Indiana Fiber Works, is the lead on this federal proposal and provided millions of the substantial cash and in-kind match that was required. Ivy Tech, IU, Ball State, and Purdue also made cash investments.

Zayo will use the fiber build to bring broadband to many unserved and underserved areas in the state while I-Light will get two strands of this fiber for I-Light use. This is the same approach that we have used for new fiber construction in prior I-Light expansion. When this build is finished, it will grow I-Light by 50% both in the number of Indiana college and university campuses that are connected and also in terms of total miles of the I-Light network.

Given the state's finances, it could have been many years (if ever) for the state to find a way to fund the fiber capital construction for all last mile needs. The criteria for the BTOP federal stimulus grant program was quite narrow and specific, and we are delighted that Zayo worked so closely with I-Light to find a way to craft a winning proposal.

While Ivy Tech is the direct recipient of the fiber build out, all I-Light institutions benefit from more members on the network and what we can collectively do for education in the state.