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7 In searching the publicly accessible web, we found a webpage of interest and provide a snapshot of it below. Please be advised that this page, and any images or links in it, may have changed since we created this snapshot. For your convenience, we provide a hyperlink to the current webpage as part of our service. Work resumes to lay fiber-optics cable north, education, research - Local News, Weather and Breaking Stories in North Caroli... Page 1 of 3 Home News Online Only Opinion Sports Marketplace NIE Customer Service DON'T MISS: MUGSHOTS CHURCH DIRECTORY HEALTH NEWS SJ PODCASTS PLACE AN AD SUBSCRIBE ONLINE EDITION GET ALERTS 60 Sunny Extended Forecast Home > Local Jobs Autos Real Estate Classifieds Work resumes to lay fiber-optics cable ShareThis Print Story Story Font Size Weather November 01, :28 PM Eddie Fitzgerald Humidity 57% Feels like 58 Wind NNE at 8 mph Time 12:17 PM A statewide project to connect community colleges and schools with a fiber-optics network is back on track in New Bern after being delayed by Hurricane Irene. Contractors for MCNC, a nonprofit based in Research Triangle Park that provides technical infrastructure throughout North Carolina, are now laying fiber optics in Lawson Creek Park that will eventually go under the Trent River and connect with Havelock. MCNC provides advanced networked technology services to all 3 million North Carolina public education students from kindergarten classes to universities. The company operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network, which also allows students to connect to each other, to national and international education and research assets, and to other students around the globe. It also will connect libraries and county government networks to the existing North Carolina Research and Education Network. enlarge Chuck Beckley/ Sun Journal A statewide project to connect community colleges and schools with a fiber optics network is back on track in New Bern after being stalled by Hurricane Irene. Contractors have begun work in Lawson Creek Park to lay fiberoptic line that will eventually go under the Trent River and connect with Havelock. Recommend Sign Up to see what your friends recommend. Details & forecast ADVERTISEMENT MCNC was awarded a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to expand the network. The grant will fund the engineering and construction of about 500 miles of new fiber optics in rural southeastern and western North Carolina, according to an earlier letter from the company to the New Bern city manager. 0 Share 0 tweets tweet 0 The work in New Bern is part of a $39.99 million network of mostly buried fiber-optic cable. MCNC will provide New Bern with reduced rates for service it delivers out of Craven Community College. Mark Trail, IT manager for New Bern, said the fiber-optic work in New Bern started about two weeks before Hurricane Irene. Lawson Creek Park was used as a debris dumping site after the storm. Workers restarted the fiber-optic project Monday. As part of the agreement between MCNC and New Bern, the company also will bury a higher-strand count of fiber optics under the Trent River to update the city s existing 36-strand fiber optics, Trail said. Three and half years ago the county installed fiber optics from Havelock Community College to West Craven High School and the city was not able to fully tap into it because the newer fiber optic strands were more than the strand count that runs under the river, Trail said. This will expand our resources on that side of the river, Trail said. It also will give the city a redundancy for emergencies by having two cables and save the city about $200,000 by not having to hire contractors to bore under the river. MCNC plans to install fiber optics beside Lawson Creek Park Road, to the boat ramps, under the river and beside Howell Road. The fiber optics is coming into the city beside U.S. 70 and follows First Street into Country Club Road before entering Lawson Creek Park. The city also will be able to take advantage of the cable being put in by MCNC, connecting all the schools and community colleges, libraries and local government on one network, Trail said. Anything that provides additional resources to the city is a good thing, he said. Recommendations Create an account or log in to Sign Up see what your friends are recommending. Facebook social plugin Most Viewed Stories Handy Mart robbed by masked gunman New Bern doctor heads state medical society Work resumes to lay fiber-optics cable Man dies following weekend capsize incident Marine major charged with indecent exposure Money in the bank Are you celebrating news that Bank of America has abandoned plans to charge a $5 debit card fee? nmlkj Absolutely nmlkj Not really nmlkj I don't bank at B of A but I still consider it a moral victory. Enter The Code To Vote Vote! Poll Bank of America backs down on $5 debit card fee ADVERTISEMENT A contractor working on the project said it would take about 30 days to run the fiber optic under the river. Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at or at efitzgerald@freedomenc.com. Obituaries Anthony, Evelyn Benjamin Armstrong, Annie Fogle 11/2/2011

8 Work resumes to lay fiber-optics cable north, education, research - Local News, Weather and Breaking Stories in North Caroli... Page 2 of 3 See archived 'Local' stories» Ads by Google Bourgeois, Zachary Leo Boyd, Katherine West Cowell Sr., Horrace Talmadge Croce, Anthony Joseph Crowley, Walter James See all Name: City: SELECT AN AREA 6 Arts & Entertainment Autos Beauty & Wellness Financial Health Care Home Improvement Local Business Directory Featured Categories Hotels & Lodging Legal Real Estate Restaurant Shopping View All» Search Things to do in New Bern Events Dining Venues Facebook social plugin Featured Events Loading events Click for More Events Add Your Events Find an Event what when where Go Legal Notices Public Notices SP-415 NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTE.., NORTH CAROLINA, CRAVEN COUNTY SUPERIOR.., NOTICE TO CREDITORS All persons,.., NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE Under.., AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE.., Videos 5 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, PM 8:30 9 PM 9:30 10 PM 10:30 WCTI The Middle Suburg Modern Fam Happy End. Revenge (N) "Charade" WNCT WNCT Survivor: South Pacific Ringer Criminal Minds (N) "Epilogue" America's Next Top Model (N) CSI: Crime Scene Eyewitn 'Til Death WFXI The X Factor (LIVE) "Top 12 Perform" Fox EC 10 WITN Up All Night Up All Night Harry's Law (N) Law & Order: S.V.U. WUNK Nature (N) Nova (N) One Last Thing Steve Jobs: movies sports reality jump to Today 6 GO Complete TV Listings foryourarea /2/2011

9 Work resumes to lay fiber-optics cable north, education, research - Local News, Weather and Breaking Stories in North Caroli... Page 3 of 3 Ads by Google Search: nmlkj Web nmlkji Site powered by Advertising Info Media Kit Advertise with us Place an ad Directory Interactive Archives Story Archive Obituary Archive Photo Archive Special Sections Reader Services Newsletters / Alerts Alerts Home Delivery Online Subscription Report a Problem Request a Temporary Stop Contact Us Online Services Newsletters/Alerts RSS Feeds Letter to the Editor Contact the Newsroom Submit Your Announcement Newspapers in Education Buy Sun Journal Photos Article Map Related Sites Havelock ENC Today Jacksonville Kinston Topsail Freedom Politics encguides encmedical encshows encbrides encnie encyellowpages Copyright 2011 Contact Us Privacy Policy User Agreement Advertising Info Local Businesses Site Map Autos Homes Freedom Communications, Inc. 11/2/2011

10 In searching the publicly accessible web, we found a webpage of interest and provide a snapshot of it below. Please be advised that this page, and any images or links in it, may have changed since we created this snapshot. For your convenience, we provide a hyperlink to the current webpage as part of our service. News Index Page 1 of 2 You are here: HOME > NEWS UNCP boosts computer networks for students From Summer Staff Reports Following preparations by the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) for the academic year, students this fall will:! be wired into a new early alert system,! use computers to find their own dorm rooms,! receive better help with the residential network,! enjoy greater bandwidth,! discover desktop virtualization, and! speed up with a turbo boost to 10GB connectivity in labs and classrooms. Student computer lab Photo courtesy DoIT SAGE. The student early alert system, SAGE, works in concert with the Center for Aacdemic Excellence's TutorTrac as a Web service helping students needing academic assistance. Classroom PCs. Some 70 classrooms in the Herbert G. Oxendine Science Building and 14 classrooms in the Business Administration Building will have new computers when students return to campus for fall semester. PCs in all classrooms and labs across campus will have their operating system software upgraded to Windows 7. Eset. DoIT has acquired new virus protection software for the campus. The software, called Eset, will replace McAfee software on computers using the Windows operating system. Eset offers virus and security protection for both PCs, as well as Macintosh machines when running Windows, with features meeting or exceeding McAfee at a lower cost. HMS. Returning residential students have been obtaining their residence hall room assignments using the Housing Management System (HMS) on the Web. DoIT staff member Myra Moody is working with the Office of Housing and Residence Life to enable new students to apply for housing online. When Cypress Hall opens in August, students will find both wired and wireless networks. In addition, DoIT's client services group has added a student network support person to assist students with residential network (ResNet) issues. Meanwhile, DoIT's network services group has implemented a new access control system for ResNet, the network for residential students. The new system, SafeConnect, will increase bandwidth and protection for network users while reducing the complexity of using ResNet. Virtualization. The new desktop virtualization system will enhance service and software access for students, at reduced cost. Projects using virtualization will include some new student computer facilities. "The ever-expanding virtual server environment will experience a turbo boost from 1GB to 10GB connectivity and an increase in overall capacity as our continuing network refresh project provides additional resources," according to Dr. Robert L. Orr, associate vice chancellor for information resources and CIO. "The virtual environment is a collection of high capacity servers that combine to provide a growing pool of virtual servers that can be used to provide central services for the campus, specific applications for academic or administrative departmental needs, and virtual machines or applications for use in student labs and classrooms," Orr said. 11/8/2011

11 News Index Page 2 of 2 NCREN. The Microelectronics Center of North Carolina (MCNC) is installing a so-called Community Anchor Point on campus as part of a project to expand the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN). MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization that uses advanced networking technologies to improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K-20 education community. The company was initially funded by the North Carolina State Government in 1980 as a catalyst for technology-based economic development. While MCNC is the company, NCREN is its network product. The highly-reliable, cost-efficient NCREN is one of the nation's first and one of the world's leading statewide regional optical networks. The project includes installation of 1,200 miles of new fiber-optics cable throughout 69 North Carolina counties and provides nearly unlimited bandwidth for K-12 schools, universities, community colleges, public health facilities and other community institutions. UNCP will have dual connections to the network across diverse geographical paths helping to ensure a high quality and available connection to the Internet. Document imaging. The university's business-related document imaging project is moving forward under the guidance of Director of IT Planning and Budgeting Maureen Windmeyer, who is coordinating the project with the offices of financial aid and admissions and the controller s office. The project team visited UNC Wilmington to observe their imaging processes. DoIT staff member Ken Brayboy imported thousands of documents for the School of Education (SoE) as part of early implementation activities. DoIT will be training SoE faculty and staff on the software and working with additional offices. EMS. A new event management system (EMS) is in use at the University Center and other departments scheduling events. EMS replaces the older campus event calendar. WebFOCUS. DoIT staff members Tammy Locklear, Jonathan Lowery and Maureen Windmeyer are migrating data reporting into a new WebFOCUS service that replaces two older systems Cognos ReportNet and Reporting Web Application (RWA). The new system lets users easier access data from Banner and other applications. DoIT's network services group also will be finalizing new distribution and data center networks. The old network and data center design knocked a large portion of campus offline when equipment malfunctioned, was damaged, or power or connectivity was lost. The new network has a higher level of redundancy, which gives it a higher tolerance for single points of failure. This will allow people to remain connected during network problems. Postini. DoIT is implementing Google Postini security services, which provide anti-spam and anti-virus protection plus automatic archiving of messages. With it, users are able to customize their own whitelists and blacklists and recover lost or deleted messages. See the DoIT website for more information. Home Go to top Around Campus Around Town Sports The print edition of The Pine Needle is published 14 times a year during the fall and spring semesters. Updated: May 9, 2011 The University of North Carolina at Pembroke The Pine Needle PO Box 1510 Pembroke, NC Phone: Fax: pineneedle@uncp.edu 11/8/2011

12 In searching the publicly accessible web, we found a webpage of interest and provide a snapshot of it below. Please be advised that this page, and any images or links in it, may have changed since we created this snapshot. For your convenience, we provide a hyperlink to the current webpage as part of our service. ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Page 1 of 3 5 SUBSCRIBE: Print Electronic (PDF) Manage NEWSLETTERS SPECIAL OFFERS RSS MOBILE TEXT ALERTS PLACE ADS ADVERTISE N.I.E. CONTACT US Web Search powered by YAHOO! SEARCH nmlkji thestate.com nmlkj archives nmlkj web 49 F current 5-day full forecast traff Friday, November 11, 201 NEWS SPORTS BUSINESS LIFE & STYLE OPINIONS MEDIA OBITS FIND N SAVE CLASSIFIEDS HOMES JOBS CARS PLACE AD Markets Stocks Mutual Funds & ETF's Sectors Rates Tools The news you want delivered to your ! Get the AM Headlines Newsletter 5 Overview Market News Market Videos Currencies International Treasury & Bonds SIGN IN BECOME A MEMBER Ticker Symbol or Company Name Get Quote Search InvestCenter Recent Quotes My Watchlist Indicators ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina By: MCNC via PR Newswire Send Like Posted on November 09, 2011 at 09:00 AM EST A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high-speed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. Quick Job Search Enter Keyword(s): Select a State: South Carolina 6 Advanced Job Search Search by Category The State Top Jobs» Enter a City: Columbia Select a Category: All Job Categories Piping/Plumbing Foreman We are currently accepting resumes for a US-SC-Columbia ADMINISTRATOR 6 5 ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high-speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two-part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new US-SC-Anderson Ring Bells For the Salvation Army Christmas Program at US-SC-Columbia Trades/skills Large commercial, industri 6 electrical contractor» See More Top Jobs Fans Recommendations Your friends Post thestate.com on Facebook Like 5,026 people like thestate.com. Geraldine Jeff David Stephanie Leon VIDEO Tiffany Shannon Angela Tony Brett LOCAL VIDEO Today's news video GALLERIES 11/11/2011

13 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Page 2 of 3 ECU connection, when sections of the newly-constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher-training school, East Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K-20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System, Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non-profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user-community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non-Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation, $8 million from the MCNC Endowment, $4 million from private-sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are -part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e-nc Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private-sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or 11/11/2011

14 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Page 3 of 3 Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC, East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions, North Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP, Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags: #GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband SOURCE MCNC Send Like Sign Up to see what your friends like. Facebook social plugin Stock Market XML and JSON Data API provided by FinancialContent Services, Inc. Nasdaq quotes delayed at least 15 minutes, all others at least 20 minutes. Markets are closed on certain holidays. Stock Market Holiday List By accessing this page, you agree to the following Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Mortgage Rates, CD Rates & Home Equity Rates provided by Banks.com Press Release Service provided by PRConnect. Fundamental data supplied by Morningstar Stock quotes supplied by Telekurs USA Postage Rates 11/11/2011

15 SOURCE: Raleigh (NC) News & Observer AUDIENCE: 541,069 [provided by Nielsen//NetRatings] DATE: HEADLINE: ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Source Website A 10gig upgrade to network services ateast Carolina University boosts high speed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C.,Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire USNewswire/ MCNC, the private, not for profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced thateast Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions innorth Carolina east of I 95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a$144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K 12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project fornorth Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including$24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and$8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT InfrastructureTom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high speed gateway for innovation throughout all ofnorth Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughouteastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non profit operator of NCREN based inresearch Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughoutnorth Carolina. "Many rural areas ineastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," saidtommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished byjan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or beforejuly 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. AboutEast Carolina University 1

16 Created by thenorth Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher training school,east Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughoutnorth Carolina's K 20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration amongnorth Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of theuniversity of North Carolina System,Duke University andwake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visitwww.mcnc.org. About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K 12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions acrossnorth Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts innorth Carolina, the NCREN user community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transformnorth Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one half ofnorth Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over$517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visitwww.goldenleaf.org or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a$144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling$104 million. In addition, MCNC raised$40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included$24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation,$8 million from the MCNC Endowment,$4 million from private sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated$4 million through 2

17 donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from thestate of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office ofnorth Carolina GovernorBev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e NC Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visitmcnc's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI atwww.twitter.com/glrbi orwww.facebook.com/glrbi. Questions? Please see ourfaq section regarding Round 2 construction questions, orcontact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC,East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions,north Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP,Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags: #GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband SOURCE MCNC (c) Copyright 2011 FinancialContent Services, Inc. Highlights: NC, NORTH CAROLINA, North Carolina, N.C, MCNC, Research andeducation Network, NCREN, Golden LEAF, Rural BroadbandInitiative, BTOP, mcnc.org, NorthCarolina, Rural Broadband Initiative, Research and Education Network, GoldenLEAF 3

18 SOURCE: Business Journal Charlotte (NC) AUDIENCE: 2,416,947 [provided by Nielsen//NetRatings] DATE: HEADLINE: ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Source Website ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina PR Newswire GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high speed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C.,Nov. 9, 2011/PRNewswire USNewswire/ MCNC, the private, not for profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I 95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K 12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." 1

19 All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher training school,east Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K 20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System,Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K 12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. 2

20 To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation,$8 million from the MCNC Endowment,$4 million from private sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e NC Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC,East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions,north Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP,Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags:#GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband Source: MCNC The information on this page is provided by PR Newswire. All rights reserved. (c) 2011 American City Business Journals, Inc.and its licensors. All rights reserved. Highlights: NC, NORTH CAROLINA, North_Carolina, North Carolina, N.C, MCNC, Research and Education Network, NCREN, Golden LEAF, Rural Broadband Initiative, BTOP, mcnc.org, North Carolina, Rural Broadband Initiative, Research and Education Network, Golden LEAF 3

21 SOURCE: Triangle Business Journal (Raleigh Durham, NC) AUDIENCE: 2,416,947 [provided by Nielsen//NetRatings] DATE: HEADLINE: ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Source Website ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina PR Newswire GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high speed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C.,Nov. 9, 2011/PRNewswire USNewswire/ MCNC, the private, not for profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I 95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K 12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." 1

22 All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher training school,east Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K 20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System,Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K 12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. 2

23 To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation,$8 million from the MCNC Endowment,$4 million from private sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e NC Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC,East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions,north Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP,Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags:#GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband Source: MCNC The information on this page is provided by PR Newswire. All rights reserved. (c) 2011 American City Business Journals, Inc.and its licensors. All rights reserved. Highlights: NC, NORTH CAROLINA, North_Carolina, North Carolina, N.C, MCNC, Research and Education Network, NCREN, Golden LEAF, Rural Broadband Initiative, BTOP, mcnc.org, North Carolina, Rural Broadband Initiative, Research and Education Network, Golden LEAF 3

24 SOURCE: Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area (Greensboro,NC) AUDIENCE: 2,416,947 [provided by Nielsen//NetRatings] DATE: HEADLINE: ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Source Website ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina PR Newswire GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high speed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C.,Nov. 9, 2011/PRNewswire USNewswire/ MCNC, the private, not for profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I 95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K 12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." 1

25 All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher training school,east Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K 20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System,Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K 12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. 2

26 To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation,$8 million from the MCNC Endowment,$4 million from private sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e NC Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC,East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions,north Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP,Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags:#GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband Source: MCNC The information on this page is provided by PR Newswire. All rights reserved. (c) 2011 American City Business Journals, Inc.and its licensors. All rights reserved. Highlights: NC, NORTH CAROLINA, North_Carolina, North Carolina, N.C, MCNC, Research and Education Network, NCREN, Golden LEAF, Rural Broadband Initiative, BTOP, mcnc.org, North Carolina, Rural Broadband Initiative, Research and Education Network, Golden LEAF 3

27 In searching the publicly accessible web, we found a webpage of interest and provide a snapshot of it below. Please be advised that this page, and any images or links in it, may have changed since we created this snapshot. For your convenience, we provide a hyperlink to the current webpage as part of our service. ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - MarketWatch Page 1 of 3 Enter Symbols or Keywords SEARCH Latest News The Trading Deck November 11, 2011 New York London Open Open Tokyo Closed 11:20 AM EST View All 11:17a Fitch revises Hungary rating outlook to negative 11:14a Friday s biggest gaining and declining stocks 11:13a Gold miners a better bet than metal, Lydon says 11:08a 'Bar is low' for finding good stocks, Buckingham says DOW NASDAQ S&P , % 2, % 1, % THOMAS H. KEE JR. Stocks voodoo you should do How technical analysis gives you the tools to actively trade or as a means to identify the best entry levels for your longer-term positions. Home News Viewer Markets Investing Personal Finance Industries Economy/Politics Trading Deck Jobs Log In Portfolio Alerts Games press release Nov. 9, 2011, 9:00 a.m. EST ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Most Popular 1. INDICATIONS U.S. stock futures rise as Europe worries ease 2. COMMODITIES CORNER Can gold miners offer a safe haven? GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high-speed broadband capacity in region MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high-speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two-part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly-constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teachertraining school, East Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K-20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System, Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non-profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology Partner Center» WEEKEND INVESTOR New gold bugs are young and restless EUROPE MARKETS Europe stocks up as Italy makes progress on crisis REX NUTTING The Republicans target American workers Trade with Fidelity Why Pay More? Switch to OptionsHouse. Trade free for 60 days with TD Ameritrade Trade with Fidelity Trade Free for 60 Days. E*TRADE Securities. Find a Broker 11/11/2011

28 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - MarketWatch Page 2 of 3 services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN usercommunity now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non-Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation, $8 million from the MCNC Endowment, $4 million from private-sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are -part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e- NC Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private-sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC, East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions, North Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP, Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags: #GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband SOURCE MCNC Copyright (C) 2011 PR Newswire. All rights reserved WSJ.com Barron's Online BigCharts Virtual Stock Exchange All Things Digital MarketWatch Community Financial News Online WSJ.com Small Business FINS: Finance, IT jobs, Sales jobs Suggested stories Asia markets sink amid fresh Europe woes Is it 1973 all over again? Portfolio Insights by Brett Arends: Seven reasons Italy may fall further Can gold miners offer a safe haven? U.S. stock futures rebound after selloff Results from Disney, Nvidia on deck afterhours From Around the Web Content from Sponsors What's this? Bill Gates Just Bought $571 Million of This Stock (Top Stock Analysts) This Stock Is Going to Zero, and You Know It (The Motley Fool) The Five Year Rule for Buying a House (Moneyning.com) Are Series EE bonds a good deal? (BankRate.com) 11/11/2011

29 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - MarketWatch Page 3 of 3 10 U.S. Cities With the Cheapest Cost of Living (Kiplinger) [what's this] Featured Stories Seven reasons Italy may fall further Yes, the stock market in Milan has plummeted in the crisis. But bargain hunters, beware, writes Brett Arends. U.S. stocks surge on Italian hopes Can gold miners offer a safe haven? Military widows forced to remarry to get benefits Consumer sentiment highest since June: survey MarketWatch.com Enter Symbols or Keywords SEARCH Site Index Topics Help Feedback Newsroom Roster Media Archive Premium Products Mobile Company Info Code of Conduct Corrections Advertising Media Kit Advertise Locally License our Content Broker Center Your Ad Choices MarketWatch on Facebook MarketWatch on Twitter RSS Podcasts Copyright 2011 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy - UPDATED 10/18/2011. Intraday Data provided by SIX Telekurs and subject to terms of use. Historical and current end-of-day data provided by SIX Telekurs. Intraday data delayed per exchange requirements. Dow Jones Indexes (SM) from Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All quotes are in local exchange time. Real time last sale data provided by NASDAQ. More information on NASDAQ traded symbols and their current financial status. Intraday data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges. Dow Jones IndexesSM from Dow Jones & Company, Inc. SEHK intraday data is provided by SIX Telekurs and is at least 60-minutes delayed. All quotes are in local exchange time. 11/11/2011

30 In searching the publicly accessible web, we found a webpage of interest and provide a snapshot of it below. Please be advised that this page, and any images or links in it, may have changed since we created this snapshot. For your convenience, we provide a hyperlink to the current webpage as part of our service. ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WSFX - FOX Wilmington, NC Page 1 of 2 MEMBER CENTER: Create Account Log In nmlkji SITE SEARCH nmlkj WEB SEARCH BY Go Elizabethtown 72 Feels Like: 72 1:00 pm 4:00 pm Beach Cam Battleship Cam 7 Day Forecast Interactive Radar Zip code Share Print Text Size ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Recommend Sign Up to see what your friends recommend. Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. SOURCE MCNC A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts highspeed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. THIS NOVEMBER AT THE BOX OFFICE wilight: Breaking Dawn appy Feet 2 he Muppets Edgar rthur Christmas The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high-speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two-part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly-constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher-training school, East Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K-20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System, Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non-profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user-community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non-Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. 11/14/2011

31 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WSFX - FOX Wilmington, NC Page 2 of 2 About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation, $8 million from the MCNC Endowment, $4 million from private-sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are -part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e-nc Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private-sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC, East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions, North Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP, Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags: #GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband 2011 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved. Comments Sign In or Sign Up for an account. What do you think? Be the first to comment Portland - Researchers have unlocked the secret to healthy joints. Now available in Maine Advertisement These 4 things happen right before a heart attack. Know these signs before it's too late. Mom reveals $5 wrinkle therapy that makes Botox doctors furious! Famed economist predicts economic calamity in See the evidence. The FDA has approved a solution for snoring & sleep apnea that does not require a cumbersome CPAP. If you owe less than $729K, the government may pay you up to $5000 to make your mortgage payment. All content Copyright WorldNow and WSFX. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 11/14/2011

32 East Carolina University gets 10 Gig upgrade, serves a network hub for N of 3 11/9/2011 2:06 PM About Us Advertise Subscribe MuniWireless Latin America business development and advisory services Free Network Magazines and ebooks 12 Key Points to Consider When Selecting a Network Scanning Solution - Discover the 12 key points your company should consider before you evaluate and... Request Free! Subscribe to RSS WiFi News City & County WiFi Networks Smartphones and Tablets How-To Featured Products Smart Grid LTE WiMAX Fiber Broadband RFPs Reports Vendor Directory East Carolina University gets 10 Gig upgrade, serves a network hub for North Carolina Search... by Esme Vos on NOVEMBER 9, 2011 in FIBER BROADBAND MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state s leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school s online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high-speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina s coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. LATEST POPULAR COMMENTS TAGS ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region, Lamb said. Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby. Broadband adoption rises but digital divide persists NOVEMBER 9, 2011 East Carolina University gets 10 Gig upgrade, serves a network hub for North Carolina NOVEMBER 9, 2011 MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two-part GLRBI Tales from the Towers, Chapter 29: That s the S.P.I.R.I.T.

33 East Carolina University gets 10 Gig upgrade, serves a network hub for N of 3 11/9/2011 2:06 PM to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure, said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node. All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly-constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. NOVEMBER 9, 2011 Cityfibre to raise 500 million to build UK fiber networks NOVEMBER 8, 2011 Verizon doubles amount of downloadable data: weak sales? NOVEMBER 8, 2011 Brescia, Italy deploys large outdoor Wi-Fi hotzone NOVEMBER 6, 2011 Better late than never: SF finally sets up Wi-Fi hotzone NOVEMBER 6, 2011 Triad Wireless and Cielo Systems Launch Next Generation Muni Wireless Model S.P.I.R.I.T. OCTOBER 31, 2011 Subscribe to our newsletter and RSS feed Sprint s on-again, off-again relationship with Clearwire OCTOBER 27, 2011 Subscribe to the MuniWireless newsletter, to our RSS feed, and join our group on Linked In. Related Posts: Broadband adoption rises but digital divide persists Cityfibre to raise 500 million to build UK fiber networks Verizon doubles amount of downloadable data: weak sales? Sprint s on-again, off-again relationship with Clearwire Louisiana loses $80 million broadband stimulus grant Louisiana loses $80 million broadband stimulus grant OCTOBER 27, 2011 Victorville deploys wireless mesh network for SCADA system upgrade OCTOBER 26, 2011 Why hotel WiFi is being crushed by ipads and what to do about it OCTOBER 25, 2011 Meru makes it easy for IT managers to serve bring-your-own-device environments OCTOBER 24, 2011 Tales from the Towers, Chapter 29: That s the S.P.I.R.I.T. Broadband adoption rises but digital divide persists Verizon lags Sprint in 4G race but both still eclipsed by iphone OCTOBER 24, 2011 Google to deploy fiber network in Europe? OCTOBER 24, 2011 No comments yet. Leave a Reply Name (required) (will not be published) (required) SUBSCRIBE / CONNECT Subscribe to the MuniWireless newsletter, to our RSS feed, and join our group on Linked In. Website Free Network Magazines and ebooks

34 East Carolina University gets 10 Gig upgrade, serves a network hub for N of 3 11/9/2011 2:06 PM Assessing ROI for Mobile Acceleration Clients Learn how to determine the need for and return on investment for mobile WOC clients... Request Free! 2011 VoIP-News: Sell Management on a New IP-Based Phone System Build your case for that next-generation communication hub. Download 7 smart selling... Request Free! Save Up To 80% On Your Business Phone Bill With VoIP Phone System Businesses are saving up to 80% on their monthly phone bills by switching to a VoIP... Request Free! More MuniWireless: WiFi, LTE, 4G, wireless applications. All Rights Reserved. Powered by WordPress. Designed by UA

35 East Carolina University now a hub for MCNC's statewide broadband ne of 1 11/9/2011 1:15 PM Posted Nov. 9, 2011 at 10:25 a.m. By WRAL Tech Wire RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. East Carolina University s campus in Greenville will serve as the hub of the expanding North Carolina Research and Education Network. MCNC, which operates NCREN, recently upgraded a backbone connection to the university to 10 gigabyte capacity. MCNC is based in RTP. The ECU upgrade is part of the $144 million NCREN expansion plan that is spreading high-speed Internet access across much of the state. A grant from the Golden LEAF economic development grant, federal funds, MCNC s own resources and support from private sector partners is fueling the growth. ECU will serve as the hub of NCREN east of I-95. The university said the upgrade also means the school can support online and distance learning as well as videoconferencing. Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure, said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative, in a statement. The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node. Get the latest news alerts: Follow WRAL Tech Wire at Twitter. Copyright 2011 WRAL Tech Wire. All rights reserved. Tags: Broadband, Internet, MCNC, Universities, ECU Editor's Blog The latest blog posts from our WRAL Tech Wire and WRAL editors.

36 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - MarketWatch 1 of 3 11/9/2011 2:07 PM SEARCH Latest News View All The Trading Deck November 9, 2011 New York Open London Closed Toky o Closed 2:06 PM EST DOW 11, % NASDAQ 2, % S&P 500 1, % BULLETIN Gold futures end lower after two-day advance Get news bulletins by » INVESTOR ALERT Yield spike in Italy costs euro, slams stocks Home News Viewer Markets Investing Personal Finance Industries Economy/Politics Trading Deck press Jobs release Nov. 9, 2011, 9:00 a.m. EST ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Log In Portfolio Alerts Games GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high-speed broadband capacity in region MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high-speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two-part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly-constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Most Popular Partner Center» INDICATIONS U.S. stock futures tumble on Italy fears MARKET SNAPSHOT U.S. stocks fall sharply on Europe s woes MARKET EXTRA Italy on brink as 10-year bond yield tops 7% CURRENCIES Dollar surges as Italian bond yields spike EUROPE MARKETS European stocks drop on Italian worries Open. Fund. Trade with Scottrade Trade with Fidelity Why Pay More? Switch to OptionsHouse Trade free for 60 day with TD Ameritrade Trade Free for 60 Day E*TRADE Securities. Find a Broker

37 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - MarketWatch 2 of 3 11/9/2011 2:07 PM Featured Stories U.S. stocks dive as Italian yields rise Italy on brink as 10-year bond yield tops 7% How do you do business in Greece? You don t Think again before investing in China Awesome That's the apt adjective to describe China's economic growth in the past decade. China's economy... Voters reject ideological agendas of both parties Voters in Ohio, Maine and Mississippi rejected a hard-right ideological agenda, giving a warning to... Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teachertraining school, East Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K-20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System, Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non-profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user-community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non-Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation, $8 million from the MCNC Endowment, $4 million from private-sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are -part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e-nc Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential

38 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - MarketWatch 3 of 3 11/9/2011 2:07 PM to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private-sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC, East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions, North Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP, Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags: #GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband SOURCE MCNC Copyright (C) 2011 PR Newswire. All rights reserved Stock Alert: *VELA* "The World's Most Undervalued 4G Company." - Tobin Smith, Fox Business Gold Stock to watch! The best gold stock to watch this week! chicagofinancialtimes.com/sage/ The One Must-Own Stock Company Holds Key To The Future Of Internet Sprint Official Site What Will You Do First With EVO, The First 4G Phone? Available Now! Suggested stories 10-Q: GENERAL COMMUNICATION INC 10-Q: CELLDEX THERAPEUTICS, INC. Adobe to cut about 750 jobs, shares fall Margin boost pushes Italy yields to brink Chinese inflation cools in October Paul B. Farrell: Financial literacy is a big, fat Wall Street hoax From Around the Web Content from Sponsors What's this? Famous Women Who Used Sex To Get Ahead (MadameNoire) How to Invest in Gold (TheStreet) 5 money-losing investments by NFL players (BankRate) Jessica Simpson Shows Us How Not to Hide a Pregnant Belly (The Stir By CafeMom) Top 10 Home-Based Businesses for Stay-at-Home Parents (All Business) [what's this] MarketWatch.com Enter Symbols or Keywords SEARCH Site Index Topics Help Feedback Newsroom Roster Media Archive Premium Products Mobile Company Info Code of Conduct Corrections Advertising Media Kit Advertise Locally License our Content Broker Center Your Ad Choices MarketWatch on Facebook Like 72k MarketWatch on Twitter 317K followers RSS Podcasts WSJ.com Barron's Online BigCharts Virtual Stock Exchange All Things Digital MarketWatch Community Financial News Online WSJ.com Small Business FINS: Finance, IT jobs, Sales jobs Copyright 2011 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy - UPDATED 10/18/2011. Intraday Data provided by SIX Telekurs and subject to terms of use. Historical and current end-of-day data provided by SIX Telekurs. Intraday data delayed per exchange requirements. Dow Jones Indexes (SM) from Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All quotes are in local exchange time. Real time last sale data provided by NASDAQ. More information on NASDAQ traded symbols and their current financial status. Intraday data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges. Dow Jones IndexesSM from Dow Jones & Company, Inc. SEHK intraday data is provided by SIX Telekurs and is at least 60-minutes delayed. All quotes are in local exchange time.

39 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - Triangle B of 4 11/10/2011 9:51 AM This was printed from Triangle Business Journal «Back to Press Releases PR Newswire GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high-speed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high-speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and

40 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - Triangle B of 4 11/10/2011 9:51 AM the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two-part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly-constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher-training school, East Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K-20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System, Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non-profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and

41 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - Triangle B of 4 11/10/2011 9:51 AM innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user-community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non-Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation, $8 million from the MCNC Endowment, $4 million from private-sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are -part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e-nc Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private-sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP

42 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - Triangle B of 4 11/10/2011 9:51 AM Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC, East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions, North Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP, Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags: #GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband SOURCE MCNC The information on this page is provided by PR Newswire. All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution of this content without prior written consent from PR Newswire is strictly prohibited. Triangle Business Journal is not responsible for this content. Learn more about this service.

43 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WCWG of 3 11/10/2011 9:54 AM MEMBER CENTER: Create Account Log In SITE SEARCH Go

44 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WCWG of 3 11/10/2011 9:54 AM ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Share Print Text Size Recommend Sign Up to see what your friends recommend. Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. SOURCE MCNC A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high-speed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. Featured Pets Stories Exercises for your fat cat Break your dog's bad habits Best cat breeds for kids Best dog breeds for kids More pets stories ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high-speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two-part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly-constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher-training school, East Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K-20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System, Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non-profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user-community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non-Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with

45 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WCWG of 3 11/10/2011 9:54 AM cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation, $8 million from the MCNC Endowment, $4 million from private-sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are -part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e-nc Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private-sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC, East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions, North Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP, Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags: #GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband 2011 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved. All content Copyright WorldNow and WCWG. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

46 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WECT TV of 3 11/10/2011 9:55 AM MEMBER CENTER: Create Account Log In SITE SEARCH WEB SEARCH BY Go Cape Fear Daily Deals Jobs Contests Cape Fear Business Break Advertise on WECT Oak Island 12:00 pm 3:00 pm Beach Cam Battleship Cam Feels Like: 63 7-Day Forecast Interactive Radar Share Print Text Size ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Recommend Sign Up to see what your friends recommend. Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. SOURCE MCNC A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high-speed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high-speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two-part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly-constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher-training school, East Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC

47 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WECT TV of 3 11/10/2011 9:55 AM MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K-20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System, Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non-profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user-community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non-Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) FROM THE AUTO CHANNEL Jeep: Most reliable domestic Honda Civic to get a facelift Camrys are most stolen car 5 hot new domestic cars Choose the right mechanic About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation, $8 million from the MCNC Endowment, $4 million from private-sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are -part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e-nc Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private-sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC, East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions, North Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP, Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags: #GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband 2011 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved. Comments Sign In or Sign Up for an account. What do you think?

48 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WECT TV of 3 11/10/2011 9:55 AM South Carolina - If you have car insurance and you drive 25 mi/day or less you better read this... Recession or not, penny stocks are the secret to being able to afford anything you want... [Nov 2011]: Drivers with no DUIs are eligible to receive a 65% discount on car insurance.. Advertisement These 4 things happen right before a heart attack. Charleston - New policy allows South Carolina residents to cut their car insurance cost in half. Mom reveals $5 wrinkle therapy that makes Botox doctors furious! EXPLORE WECT.COM HOME LOCAL NEWS WEATHER SPORTS ABOUT US North Carolina News South Carolina News National News International News Business News Strange News Carolina in the Morning My Turn, Your Turn America Now Agriculture News Ask WECT Maps and Forecasts WeatherActive Radar Hurricane Center Severe Weather Beach and Boat Fish & Game Forecast Midland Weather Radios Dolphins Hammerheads Rams Seahawks Sea Dawgs Sea Devils How to Reach Us How Do I advertise on WECT and WECT.com? Advertise on WECT Communities Websites WECT Jobs All content Copyright WorldNow and WECT, a Raycom Media Station. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

49 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WSFX of 4 11/10/2011 9:56 AM MEMBER CENTER: Create Account Log In SITE SEARCH WEB SEARCH BY Go Oak Island 12:00 pm 3:00 pm Beach Cam Feels Like: Day Forecast Interactive Radar Battleship Cam FROM THE ENTERTAINMENT CHANNEL Bieber plans baby DNA test Lohan spends 5 hours in jail Kardashian visits Humphries Andy Rooney dies at 92 Andy Williams has cancer

50 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WSFX of 4 11/10/2011 9:56 AM Share Print Text Size ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina Recommend Sign Up to see what your friends recommend. Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. SOURCE MCNC A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high-speed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high-speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two-part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly-constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher-training school, East Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K-20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System, Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non-profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user-community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non-Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond.

51 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WSFX of 4 11/10/2011 9:56 AM About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation, $8 million from the MCNC Endowment, $4 million from private-sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are -part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e-nc Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private-sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC, East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions, North Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP, Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags: #GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband 2011 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved. Comments Sign In or Sign Up for an account. What do you think?

52 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - WSFX of 4 11/10/2011 9:56 AM South Carolina - If you have car insurance and you drive 25 mi/day or less you better read this... These 4 things happen right before a heart attack. Advertisement [Nov 2011]: Drivers with no DUIs are eligible to receive a 65% discount on car insurance.. Mom reveals $5 wrinkle therapy that makes Botox doctors furious! Charleston - New policy allows South Carolina residents to cut their car insurance cost in half. Charleston - Researchers have unlocked the secret to healthy joints. Now available in All content Copyright WorldNow and WSFX. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

53 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - Yahoo! News 1 of 3 11/10/2011 9:56 AM YOUR NEWS. NOW WITH FRIENDS. Discover News based on what your friends are reading, publish your own reading activity and retain full control. To get started, first Login with Facebook PR Newswire Wed, Nov 9, 2011 To: EDUCATION, HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY EDITORS Contact: MCNC Communications Hotline, ; or Noah Garrett of NGC Communications for MCNC, , press@mcnc.org; or ECU Media Contact: Mary Schulken, Director of Public Affairs, A 10gig upgrade to network services at East Carolina University boosts high-speed broadband capacity in region GREENVILLE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MCNC, the private, not-for-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced that East Carolina University has received a 10gig upgrade to network services and now serves as the main network hub for most community anchor institutions in North Carolina east of I-95. The upgrade was completed through the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative, a $144 million expansion of NCREN, which serves the Intranet and Internet network needs of more than 350 of the state's leading community anchor institutions including all K-12 public schools, community colleges, UNC System institutions, libraries, select private colleges and universities, non-profit hospitals, public health and public safety institutions. This historic project for North Carolina is funded through the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in addition to several private grants and investments including $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $8 million from the MCNC Endowment. The MCNC Endowment was created to support the long term capital and equipment needs of NCREN. ECU Director of IT Infrastructure Tom Lamb said the upgrade provides essential bandwidth and broadband capacity to service the school's online and distance learning programs, videoconferencing, economic development and other essential services. At the same time, he said, it serves as a high-speed gateway for innovation throughout all of North Carolina's coastal areas. ECU now serves as a main network hub for community anchor institutions in this region of the state. "ECU continues to be a statewide leader in distance education programs, and these enhancements at ECU will benefit the school as well as the entire region," Lamb said. "Other universities, colleges, libraries, and government agencies throughout Eastern North Carolina will see a better exchange of information with each other and the rest of the world. In turn, other parts of the state will gain access to the valuable expertise and resources available at ECU and nearby." MCNC, the non-profit operator of NCREN based in Research Triangle Park, announced the ECU upgrade as a component of phase one of the two-part GLRBI to enhance and expand broadband capacity in underserved areas of the state. MCNC is near completion of the first phase; phase two construction began in July. MCNC will use the new fiber from both phases of the project to expand the capacity of NCREN to serve as the backbone Intranet and Internet network for community institutions throughout North Carolina. "Many rural areas in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind in the race to build out critical broadband infrastructure," said Tommy Jacobson, vice president of Network Initiatives for MCNC and project lead on the initiative. "The new upgrade will provide nearly unlimited capacity for this region through the ECU campus node." All construction for both phases of the initiative must be finished by Jan. 31, 2013 to allow MCNC time to equip and place the fiber optic into service on or before July 31, As with the new ECU connection, when sections of the newly-

54 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - Yahoo! News 2 of 3 11/10/2011 9:56 AM constructed network are complete, they will be placed into service. About East Carolina University Created by the North Carolina General Assembly more than a century ago as a teacher-training school, East Carolina University today is the state's largest producer of education professionals, nurses and allied health professionals. It is also the state leader in distance education and is building a new dental school that is scheduled to open in August. About MCNC MCNC is an independent, non-profit organization that employs advanced Internet networking technologies and systems to continuously improve learning and collaboration throughout North Carolina's K-20 education community. MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications and offers the opportunity to improve teaching, learning, research, and collaboration among North Carolina's education community. For a more than a quarter century MCNC has operated a robust, secure, exclusive communications network that has connected the institutions of the University of North Carolina System, Duke University and Wake Forest University to each other and through advanced research networks such as Internet2 and National Lambda Rail, to the world. Visit About NCREN Community NCREN, operated by the non-profit organization MCNC, is one of the nation's first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina. MCNC offers NCREN technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. In addition to all public school districts in North Carolina, the NCREN user-community now includes: 17 institutions of the UNC System and General Administration; 19 North Carolina Charter Schools, 27 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; 58 North Carolina Community Colleges; research institutions and foundations; and, along with the N.C. Office of Information Technology Services and other partners, MCNC will provide broadband services for the Public Health and Non-Profit Hospitals Phases of the N.C. Telehealth Network in 2011 and beyond. About The Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to help transform North Carolina's economy. The foundation receives one-half of North Carolina's funds from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers and places special emphasis on assisting tobacco-dependent, economically distressed and/or rural communities across the state. The Golden LEAF Foundation works in partnership with governmental entities, educational institutions, economic development organizations and nonprofits to achieve its mission. The foundation has awarded 1,129 grants worth over $517 million since its inception. To learn more about applying for a grant, visit or call (888) About Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative MCNC currently is working on a $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) scheduled to be completed by This initiative has been labeled the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. To fund this expansion, MCNC applied for and received two U.S. Department of Commerce Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) awards totaling $104 million. In addition, MCNC raised $40 million in private matching funds as required by the BTOP program. MCNC's sources of matching funds included $24 million from the Golden LEAF Foundation, $8 million from the MCNC Endowment, $4 million from private-sector wholesale telecommunications company FRC, and an estimated $4 million through donations of land and existing conduit from individual community colleges, universities, and others including the Albemarle Pamlico Economic Development Corporation. No direct funding

55 ECU Network Boost to Benefit All of Eastern North Carolina - Yahoo! News 3 of 3 11/10/2011 9:56 AM from the State of North Carolina was required. MCNC estimates the expansion of NCREN will create or save 2,500 engineering, construction, and manufacturing jobs in the state. Both MCNC awards are -part of a coordinated strategy developed by the Office of North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue, the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, and e-nc Authority to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas. Once all work is complete, the two rounds of BTOP infrastructure have the potential to serve directly, or through MCNC partnerships with private-sector service providers, more than 1,500 community anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and reach more than 300,000 underserved families. MCNC/BTOP Central Webspace For more information regarding all of MCNC's BTOP activities, visit MCNC's BTOP Central Web Space online. You also can follow the progress of the GLRBI at or Questions? Please see our FAQ section regarding Round 2 construction questions, or contact us for more details. Keywords and Tags ECU, Eastern NC, East Carolina University, pirates, MCNC, NCREN, BTOP, ARRA, NTIA, Golden LEAF, GLRBI, distance learning, community anchor institutions, North Carolina, NC, rural broadband, RTP, Research Triangle Park, education, telehealth, telecom, broadband, Internet, web, bandwidth, news Twitter Hashtags: #GLRBI #ECU #BTOP #broadband SOURCE MCNC -0- Copyright 2011 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Yahoo! News Network /

56 Work resumes to lay fiber-optics cable north, education, research - Local of 3 11/2/2011 9:13 AM PLACE AN AD SUBSCRIBE ONLINE EDITION GET ALERTS Sunny Extended Forecast Home News Online Only Opinion Sports Marketplace NIE Customer Service DON'T MISS: MUGSHOTS CHURCH DIRECTORY 9/11 TEN YEARS HEALTH NEWS SJ PODCASTS Home > Local Search Nbsj for stories, videos, photos, etc Work resumes to lay fiber-optics cable November 01, :28 PM Eddie Fitzgerald ShareThis Print Story Story Font Size Jobs Autos Real Estate Classifieds Weather Humidity 89% Feels like 43 Wind N at 3 mph Time 9:02 AM A statewide project to connect community colleges and schools with a fiber-optics network is back on track in New Bern after being delayed by Hurricane Irene. Contractors for MCNC, a nonprofit based in Research Triangle Park that provides technical infrastructure throughout North Carolina, are now laying fiber optics in Lawson Creek Park that will eventually go under the Trent River and connect with Havelock. MCNC provides advanced networked technology services to all 3 million North Carolina public education students from kindergarten classes to universities. The company operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network, which also allows students to connect to each other, to national and international education and research assets, and to other students around the globe. It also will connect libraries and county government networks to the existing North Carolina Research and Education Network. enlarge Chuck Beckley/ Sun Journal A statewide project to connect community colleges and schools with a fiber optics network is back on track in New Bern after being stalled by Hurricane Irene. Contractors have begun work in Lawson Creek Park to lay fiber-optic line that will eventually go under the Trent River and connect with Havelock. Recommend Sign Up to see what your friends recommend. Details & forecast ADVERTISEMENT MCNC was awarded a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to expand the network. The grant will fund the engineering and construction of about 500 miles of new fiber optics in rural southeastern and western North Carolina, according to an earlier letter from the company to the New Bern city manager. 0 Share 0 tweets tweet 0 The work in New Bern is part of a $39.99 million network of mostly buried fiber-optic cable. MCNC will provide New Bern with reduced rates for service it delivers out of Craven Community College. Mark Trail, IT manager for New Bern, said the fiber-optic work in New Bern started about two weeks before Hurricane Irene. Lawson Creek Park was used as a debris dumping site after the storm. Workers restarted the fiber-optic project Monday. As part of the agreement between MCNC and New Bern, the company also will bury a higher-strand count of fiber optics under the Trent River to update the city s existing 36-strand fiber optics, Trail said. Three and half years ago the county installed fiber optics from Havelock Community College to West Craven High School and the city was not able to fully tap into it because the newer fiber optic strands were more than the strand count that runs under the river, Trail said. This will expand our resources on that side of the river, Trail said. It also will give the city a redundancy for emergencies by having two cables and save the city about $200,000 by not having to hire contractors to bore under the river. MCNC plans to install fiber optics beside Lawson Creek Park Road, to the boat ramps, under the river and beside Howell Road. The fiber optics is coming into the city beside U.S. 70 and follows First Street into Country Recommendations Create an account or log in to see what your friends are recommending. New café already creating a buzz 35 people recommend this. Saturday Market Jam concert helps keep Sudan Patrol rolling 14 people recommend this. Facebook social plugin Most Viewed Stories Handy Mart robbed by masked gunman New Bern doctor heads state medical society Poll Money in the bank Are you celebrating news that Bank of America has abandoned plans to charge a $5 debit card fee? Absolutely Not really I don't bank at B of A but I still consider it a moral victory. Enter The Code To Vote Bank of America backs down on $5 debit card fee ADVERTISEMENT