Mediacom Business Announces New Partnership with Springfield Public Schools

Mediacom Business Announces New Partnership with Springfield Public Schools

Connectivity for district's network now managed by Mediacom Business' fiber backbone

Springfield, MO - October 2, 2024 - Mediacom Business, a division of Mediacom Communications Corporation, today announced a new partnership with the Springfield Public School District (SPS) to provide the fiber infrastructure that connects SPS's wide-area-network (WAN). The WAN provides a secure private broadband network for relaying data and communications for staff and students across more than 60 facilities operated by the school district.

In 2023, SPS released a Request for Proposals for the WAN's connectivity, and the Mediacom Business submission was selected as the winning proposal. Fiber construction and other technical work to connect Mediacom Business' network to the SPS network was completed in July in preparation for the upcoming school year. The new partnership formed between Mediacom Business and Springfield Public Schools required extensive technical work and resources by both parties. The school district will utilize funding through the FCC's E-Rate Program to cover the costs of the project.

Now fully operational with the school year underway, Mediacom Business manages a fiber connection supplying 10 Gbps of connectivity to each SPS building with a 40 Gbps connection to the SPS administration site and offsite data center. These ultra-high-speed connections not only improve the day-to-day operations of the district for staff, teachers, and students but also allow Springfield Public Schools to deploy its innovative online learning platform Launch. SPS's virtual learning platform Launch has partnerships with 342 Missouri school districts giving more than 650,000 students access to educational content that would otherwise not be available to them in their small communities.

"As the demand for online educational content continues to increase, our Launch platform has become vital to educating students in Springfield and all across Missouri," said Dr. Nichole Lemmon, Director of Launch Virtual Learning. "Without the broadband connection we have through Mediacom, we would not be able to adequately provide this critical educational tool to thousands of Missouri students.

Springfield Schools Police Department (SSPD) also utilizes broadband in fortifying security efforts through additional security cameras district wide including on school buses. Advanced broadband services have made it possible for video footage from the buses' cameras to automatically download to the SSPD communications team as the buses pull into the school's parking lot. This capability allows SSPD to seamlessly keep watch over the safety of every student.

"As our district relies more heavily on technology each day whether that be for online learning or public safety, a robust and reliable broadband connection is crucial for the daily operation of the entire district," said Bruce Douglas, Chief Information Officer for SPS. "The best internet connection is one we never have to think about allowing us to do our job of educating the next generation, and we applaud Mediacom for providing such a connection to SPS."

"Mediacom Business has over 20 years of expertise in providing advanced enterprise level broadband solutions like the services supplied for the SPS WAN," said Mark Finch, Group Vice President of Business Services for Mediacom. "Mediacom Business also greatly values the impact education has on the communities we serve. As such, we are absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to power Springfield Public School District's online learning initiatives via our broadband network and we look forward to a successful partnership for many years to come."

About Mediacom Communications

Mediacom Communications Corporation is the 5th largest cable operator in the United States and the leading gigabit broadband provider to smaller markets primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. Through its fiber-rich network, Mediacom offers high-speed data, video, phone, and mobile services to over 3 million households and businesses across 22 states. The company delivers scalable broadband solutions to commercial and public-sector customers of all sizes through Mediacom Business and sells advertising and production services under the OnMedia brand. More information about Mediacom is available at mediacomcable.com.

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