As the NIUNet project has progressed, NIU has actively sought out partnerships with municipalities, school districts, hospitals and other entities to extend the benefits of the network. Partners have contributed cash, granted easements and contributed in a variety of other ways.
Partners (including NIU) reap benefits that have far greater value than the cost of their contribution, and each is getting access to a state-of-the art communication network that would have cost them far more to obtain through commercial channels.
Fiber purchased and installed by the city provided a crucial link from NIU’s ring to Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, which gave NIU a connection to Internet2, a research-only version of the Internet that links universities and laboratories across the globe on a high speed broadband network.
By connecting to the network, Batavia became part of the Illinois Municipal Broadband Communication Association, a group of Illinois cities interested in sharing information and resources about broadband services. Many of those communities (including Batavia) operate electric utilities, and the network allows them to participate in a real-time electricity market place buying and selling power online, with each other and with power companies across the country.
The connection to NIUNet also creates opportunities for City of Batavia employees to participate in online classes taught by NIU faculty, back up crucial city data at remote sites, participate in research projects through the university and extend the high speed cable network throughout their town to benefit schools, hospitals and other not-for-profit entities and to enhance economic development.
NIUNet provides access to all of those services possible at a price about 80 percent lower than commercial entities charge for similar bandwidth.
Batavia is also working with NIU to facilitate connections to the DuPage Technology Park where NIU will be opening the Northern Illinois Proton Treatment and Research Center, which will allow doctors working at the cutting edge cancer treatment center to almost instantly share data (MRI scans, CT scans, x-rays, etc. with experts across the globe.
Using knowledge gained through other phases of NIUNet, university staff are helping design and engineer the ring and training Rockford employees to install fiber. The university is purchasing the fiber optic cables in return for use of easements and installation.
The connection to NIUNet also creates opportunities for City of Rockford employees to participate in online classes taught by NIU faculty, back up crucial city data at remote sites, participate in research projects through the university and extend the high-speed cable network throughout their town to benefit schools, hospitals and other not-for-profit entities and to enhance economic development.
Hoffman Estates and NIU have engaged in a partnership that will extend fiber optic fiber into the Prairie Stone Corporate Park where NIU has a branch campus. As part of the agreement, fiber will also be extended to a nearby water tower, which will be equipped with a microwave transmitter that will allow local schools, police, fire and other municipal services to begin reaping the benefits of high-speed fiber optic communication.
The city will also be extending fiber along Barrington Road which will allow the City of Elgin, the City of Schaumberg and all of the buildings of School District 300 to connect to NIUNet in the near future.
Like other partner communities the connection to NIUNet creates opportunities employees of the Village of Hoffman Estates to participate in online classes taught by NIU faculty, back up crucial city data at remote sites, participate in research projects through the university and extend the high speed cable network throughout their town to benefit schools, hospitals and other not-for-profit entities and to enhance economic development.