Edison International : SCE Connects Students With Fast, Reliable Internet Service

About 47,000 San Bernardino City Unified School District students are embarking on a new year of classes, friendships and experiences with a new, state-of-the-art fiber optic network, meant to facilitate their education and growth.

'They're back at school and everybody is relying on the internet,' said Terri Ellison, principal manager of construction and project management with Edison Carrier Solutions. 'They're going to have fantastic service because we know the quality of what we built.'

Edison Carrier Solutions, Southern California Edison's telecommunications company, designed the robust network to eliminate gaps in service and equip the school district with dramatically improved internet speed. The company's designers, engineers, construction, transmission telecommunication and IT crews designed 165 new circuits, built 86 miles of new fiber optic cable and assembled infrastructure at 90 school district locations.

The network interconnects all facilities to the school district's two data centers, creating a single communication system, as well as each laptop and tablet that is accessible to every student As data is transmitted from one source to another, it travels at the speed of light over the fiber optic cables, providing students and staff with near-instantaneous access to critical education-based applications.

High-quality service is precisely what the district was looking for when it awarded Edison Carrier Solutions the project as part of a competitive bid to upgrade its network through the Federal Communications Commission's E-Rate program.

Fast and reliable internet service is vital for students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Ginger Ontiveros, executive director of Communications and Community Engagement at San Bernardino City Unified School District.

'By giving our students access to all the tools they need to learn in today's environment, we are essentially reinforcing our school district's guiding principle of equity, access and inclusion,' she said. 'Our partnership with Edison Carrier Solutions is a step in the right direction to keep kids and families connected and focused on a brighter future.'

Helping meet the district's mission to prepare students for college and career success requires an extensive network capable of sustaining the activities of all students and staff. For many students, the school's network is their only source of internet access, so the high-speed connection would need to be reliable both during and after school hours. That's exactly what Edison Carrier Solutions delivered at the conclusion of the three-year project.

Edison Carrier Solutions was founded in 1999 as internet access was beginning to revolutionize our way of life. Since then, the company has been a leader in exploring emerging technologies and offering unique, efficient and competitive solutions for network connectivity.

By giving our students access to all the tools they need to learn in today's environment, we are essentially reinforcing our school district's guiding principle of equity, access and inclusion. Our partnership with Edison Carrier Solutions is a step in the right direction to keep kids and families connected and focused on a brighter future.'

Ginger Ontiveros
San Bernardino City Unified School District

'Our partnership with the school district made the difference,' said Kurt Sweetser, director and general manager of Edison Carrier Solutions. 'Their team members provided timely and insightful support throughout the entire lifecycle of the build and service delivery.'

The upgrade also enables the school district to manage its network internally and provides access to Edison Carrier Solutions' maintenance team if immediate outside support is needed. The project is one of the most significant network builds for Edison Carrier Solutions in recent years.