History
CEN celebrates 20 years of service!
CEN Background and History
The CEN was established in 2000 with an important mission: ensure that students across the state have access to great technology and content on a network that will grow with them. Over the last 15 years, CEN has delivered on that promise. Through the use of federal broadband investments, state general funds, and customer payments, CEN has saved the state’s schools and libraries more than $50 million, when compared with the cost of procuring broadband access through commercial providers.
In addition, the CEN has supported economic development by expanding the reach of broadband across the state. As we built the education network, fiber providers installed additional strands of fiber to all corners of the state. This investment has lowered the cost to bring access to all our citizens and is used extensively to serve wireless cell towers in the state. The map of our fiber reach footprint is found below.
About Us
Connecticut Education Network (CEN) is part of the State's secure "Nutmeg Network", whose purpose is to deliver reliable, high-speed internet access, data transport, and value-added services to its members throughout Connecticut. Established in 2000 to integrate high speed fiber optics networks into institutions of education statewide, CEN is governed by the Commission for Education Technology.
CEN helps deliver on the promise of equality in education by providing access to technology that schools and libraries would not be able to afford on their own. This investment is supported by the State of Connecticut, private schools, nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education that are committed to the idea of overall improvement in education and broad support for access to technology. Eligible K-12 and libraries can also take advantage of E-rate funding. CEN is an E-rate service provider, our 498 ID (formerly SPIN) is: 143049066.
In an effort to remove barriers to technology, CEN supports "Open Access" use of the network, which allows any entity to join the network at a fair price. “Open Access” provides greater access for areas of the state from where it has been prohibitively expensive to obtain high-speed internet access and could include town-to-town sharing of databases and remote access to municipal applications.
CEN is CT’s research and education network and we represent CT at many regional and national meetings and in organizations such as NEREN, Global Noc, Internet2, The Quilt, SHLB and NERCOMP.
CEN's office is located at 55 Farmington Avenue in Hartford.