Project Grant 3840MM934

PURPOSE: THE PROJECT IS COMPOSED OF TWO ELEMENTS, ADDED MIDDLE MILE FIBER ROUTE MILES, AND UPGRADING ELECTRONICS TO SUPPORT THE INCREASED NETWORK DEMAND. THE FIRST ELEMENT, THE INCORPORATION OF THE NEW FIBER ROUTE MILES, WILL FACILITATE ADDITIONAL REDUNDANCY, RESILIENCY, AND SURVIVABILITY OF THE NETWORK. IN ADDITION, THE ADDED FIBER ROUTES WILL REDUCE LATENCY FOR ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS PROVIDING CRITICAL NETWORK SERVICES. THE NEW ROUTE DESIGN FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA WILL BE COMPRISED OF 4 ADDITIONAL NETWORK SEGMENTS. THESE SEGMENTS WILL BE BISMARCK, ND TO CARRINGTON, ND, JAMESTOWN, ND TO CARRINGTON, ND, DEVILS LAKE, ND TO CARRINGTON, ND AND FARGO, ND TO CARRINGTON ND. THIS WILL CREATE A FULLY MESHED TOPOLOGY WITHIN THE STATE. THE WESTERN PORTION WILL ALSO BENEFIT BY ADDING AN ADDITIONAL NETWORK SEGMENT BETWEEN ALEXANDER, ND AND MAX, ND. THE SECOND ELEMENT, UPGRADING ELECTRONICS TO SUPPORT THE INCREASED NETWORK DEMAND, WILL ENSURE THE NETWORK HAS THE CAPACITY THAT IS IN DEMAND FROM ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS ENABLING THEM TO SERVE CRITICAL SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS OF NORTH DAKOTA. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: DAKOTA CARRIER NETWORK (DCN) IS UPGRADING AND EXPANDING NORTH DAKOTA'S MIDDLE MILE BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROVIDE RESILIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND WITHSTAND INCREASED BANDWIDTH CAPACITY. THE PROJECT WILL ADD A TOTAL OF 612.99 LEASED FIBER ROUTE MILES TO DCN'S MIDDLE MILE BACKBONE INFRASTRUCTURE. SUBRECIPIENT BEK COMMUNICATIONS COOPERATIVE WILL ADD A TOTAL OF 28.4 NEW CONSTRUCTION FIBER ROUTE MILES TO THEIR MIDDLE MILE BACKBONE INFRASTRUCTURE. SUBRECIPIENT DAKOTA CENTRAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COOP. (DCT) WILL BE ADDING A TOTAL OF 233.2 NEW CONSTRUCTION FIBER ROUTE MILES TO THEIR MIDDLE MILE BACKBONE INFRASTRUCTURE. THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE IS EXPECTED TO BE 2 YEARS. EXPECTED OUTCOME: THIS PROJECT WILL ADVANCE THE TWO KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE MMG PROGRAM: TO ENCOURAGE THE EXPANSION AND EXTENSION OF MIDDLE MILE INFRASTRUCTURE TO REDUCE THE COST OF CONNECTING UNSERVED AND UNDERSERVED AREAS TO THE BACKBONE OF THE INTERNET AND TO PROMOTE BROADBAND CONNECTION RESILIENCY THROUGH THE CREATION OF ALTERNATIVE NETWORK CONNECTION PATHS THAT CAN BE DESIGNED TO PREVENT SINGLE POINTS OF FAILURE ON A BROADBAND NETWORK. THE PROJECT IS COMPOSED OF TWO ELEMENTS, ADDED MIDDLE MILE FIBER ROUTE MILES, AND UPGRADING ELECTRONICS TO SUPPORT THE INCREASED NETWORK DEMAND. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THREE OF DCN'S OWNER AND ONE AFFILIATE COMPANY RECENTLY WERE AWARDED USDA RECONNECT 3 LOAN AND GRANT FUNDING FOR FURTHER DEPLOYMENT OF FIBER-TO-THE-PREMISES NETWORKS. THESE ADDED LAST-MILE NETWORKS WILL CONNECT AN ADDITIONAL 5,822 PEOPLE, 205 BUSINESSES, 680 FARMS, AND 16 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES TO HIGH-SPEED INTERNET. THIS PROJECT WILL ENSURE THAT THE NETWORK CAN SUSTAIN THESE INCREASES IN CAPACITY TO CONNECT TO THESE CURRENTLY UNSERVED AND/OR UNDERSERVED AREAS, AS AN 80% RURAL STATE. THERE ARE FIVE FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES AND ONE INDIAN COMMUNITY LOCATED AT LEAST PARTIALLY WITHIN THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA: THE MANDAN, HIDATSA, & ARIKARA NATION (MHA) (THREE AFFILIATED TRIBES), THE SPIRIT LAKE TRIBE, THE STANDING ROCK SIOUX TRIBE, THE TURTLE MOUNTAIN BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS, THE SISSETON WAHPETON OYATE NATION, AND THE TRENTON INDIAN SERVICE AREA. DCN'S FIBER OPTIC MIDDLE MILE INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTS THE MAJORITY OF NORTH DAKOTA'S ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS' INTERNET AND CONNECTIVITY NEEDS. ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS LIKE ALL THE K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE STATE, 9 HIGHER EDUCATION LOCATIONS, 54 CRITICAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, AND THE MULTITUDE OF PUBLIC SAFETY LOCATIONS INCLUDING 911 DISPATCH CENTERS, NATIONAL GUARD, AIR FORCE, AND STATE RADIO TOWERS. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: SUBRECIPIENT BEK WILL BE ADDING A TOTAL OF 28.4 NEW CONSTRUCTION FIBER ROUTE MILES TO THEIR MIDDLE MILE BACKBONE INFRASTRUCTURE. SUBRECIPIENT DCT WILL BE ADDING A TOTAL OF 233.2 NEW CONSTRUCTION FIBER ROUTE MILES TO THEIR MIDDLE MILE BACKBONE INFRASTRUCTURE.