ICN Enhances Iowa Broadband Infrastructure with 100G Chicago Route

map of the connection between Des Moines, Iowa and Chicago, Illinois

Direct Peering with Google, AWS, and Microsoft to Support Iowa’s Public Sector Cloud Demands

The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) has reached another major infrastructure milestone by establishing a new, dedicated 100-Gigabit (100G) route to Chicago. This upgrade provides Iowa’s public sector entities with massive bandwidth and low latency for critical cloud-based services.

By connecting directly to Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) at Equinix in Chicago, ICN peers directly with content and cloud providers, such as Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft. This direct connection removes unnecessary network "hops," ensuring faster, more stable access to the digital tools Iowans rely on every day.

"As state agencies continue to transition vital services to the cloud, the demand for a stable, high-capacity highway has never been more urgent," said Patrick Kazeze, ICN Director of Operations. "This 100G connection acts as a pressure release valve for our Network. It moves us from a near-capacity environment to one that is resilient, scalable, and future-ready."

Key Benefits of the Infrastructure Upgrade:

  • Capacity Expansion: Replaces previous 40G transport links with a native 100G route, significantly increasing the volume of data that can be securely transported.
  • Enhanced Reliability: The new route offers stability over legacy circuits, providing a stronger backbone for Iowa's critical communication infrastructure.
  • Cost Efficiency: By leveraging collaborative fiber partnerships instead of costly independent build-outs, ICN is realizing a monthly savings of approximately $1,000 to $1,500.
  • Statewide Impact: The Chicago route is the first of four strategic locations planned to leverage high-capacity regional paths to benefit the State.

This project is in collaboration with the  BOREAS Network, with whom ICN announced a connection in 2025 to the Regional Network.

As part of a broader network modernization strategy, ICN has both sides of Iowa connected to Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) with a  100G path to Denver and now a 100G path to Chicago. With the BOREAS collaboration, ICN is evaluating three additional regional locations to further strengthen redundancy and performance for every corner of Iowa.