Technology changes quickly, and Iowans are more connected than they’ve ever been. Many Iowans may not be aware of the state-owned fiber optic cables buried underground that are essential for keeping our public safety, healthcare, government, and education systems running smoothly.
We have fine-tuned technology and provide dedicated service and support to our customers. With approximately 3,400 miles of state-owned fiber optic cable and leased connections with the private sector, we’re helping our authorized customers carry on their mission to deliver a range of services to the people of Iowa.
Here are 5 ways the connectivity from the critical infrastructure of the ICN impacts Iowans.
1. Public Safety. Iowa residents might not think about our public safety system every day, but it's good to know that the ICN provides a secure network for both wireless and landline 9-1-1 calls, helping to keep families in Iowa safe. This means that any time a 9-1-1 call is sent, it travels on the ICN network to be answered by any local county Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). We value our ongoing partnership with Iowa’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Iowa based PSAPs, and the public safety community.
Iowa’s public safety community has also embraced our partnership with FirstNet and our FirstNet backup service that provides a redundant connection in the event an outage to the fiber optics occurs. ICN has deployed backup FirstNet connections to 79 PSAPs.
2. Healthcare. Throughout the State, many hospitals and clinics receive Internet and data services either directly from the ICN or using ICN’s partnership with the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA). ICN is IHA’s technical and maintenance provider for the Iowa Rural Health Telecommunications Program (IRHTP). At the local hospital or clinic, Iowans receive telemedicine and e-health services for digital readings, consultations, and access to medical records and test results.
3. Government. ICN offers a range of telecom services to both State and Federal government agencies. This includes support for several of Iowa's State Government Departments: the Iowa Department of Revenue, Iowa Workforce Development, Health and Human Services locations across the state, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, and even Iowa's only federally recognized tribe, the Meskwaki Nation, all of which rely on ICN services. Whether you’re searching for jobs, need guidance for revenue programs, accessing the child care online portals, or searching online with the Judicial system, you may be using the ICN through the government agency. We're dedicated to offering broadband services that help the government better serve the people of Iowa.
4. Education. K-12 students and educators in many school buildings statewide are using the ICN Internet services for digital research, online testing, STEM applications, and interactive online learning. Internet use is escalating; 80% of Internet provided by the ICN is used by our education customers. Education also takes advantage of ICN’s cloud services, hosted apps, and security features such as managed firewalls and DDoS protection.
Higher education institutions also benefit from ICN services. Students in Iowa who go to any of the 15 community colleges, the Regents universities (ISU, Iowa, and UNI), or a private college can enjoy the reliable and steady connectivity provided by the ICN.
5. Public Broadcasting. Did you know that the programming from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) travels our fiber optic network to broadcast or stream online for Iowans? ICN provides Ethernet connections to various PBS towers, enabling people in Iowa to watch programs at home, such as the Governor’s Condition of the State Address and the amazing Yankee Doodle Pops event held on the Capitol Complex grounds in July.
Here’s a bonus fun fact about Reinvestment! The ICN has consistently operated as a public-private partnership since its inception, made possible by our collaborations with private telecom companies through leased connections. This setup not only supports local telecom providers, but also brings advantages to the communities they serve. In Fiscal Year 2024 (July 2023 - June 2024), ICN reinvested a total of $22M back into the private sector with $8.5M of that going to private telecommunications providers.
Interested in learning more about the ICN and how we impact Iowans? Take a moment to visit other pages on our website.