National education network

The National Education Network (NEN) connects schools and content and service providers to KAREN to enhance the use of technology to deliver great learning outcomes.

About the National Education Network

The NEN provides very fast, unrestricted broadband to schools, creating a new learning environment for collaboration and to access online content and services. The NEN is a dedicated network for schools, separate from KAREN but using the best of KAREN's speed and capacity. Over 20 schools in New Zealand are currently connected to the NEN. See our KAREN member list to view the connected schools, and visit the NEN page on the KAREN wiki for information on the previous trial.

National Education Network trial extension: 2010 - 2011

REANNZ has begun work on extending the NEN trial to another 200 schools. The extended trial will run until at least June 2011 and will provide schools with very fast, unrestricted broadband at 100Mb/s or greater. We expect to have the first new schools connected to the NEN by mid 2010.

The target schools for this phase of the trial are those that currently have open-access fibre connectivity (through regional cluster networks or local loops) or that will have access through the Government broadband roll-out.

Latest news

On 20 April, REANNZ released an RFP for the supply of Layer 3 ethernet routers for schools participating in the National Education Network (NEN) Trial Extension. Copies of the RFP are on GETS. Responses are due by 4pm on 14 May 2010. See our news item for more details:

NEN Edge Router RFP issued 21 April 2010

Register your interest

You can find information on the supplier workshops and school briefings, and a link to the schools survey at the following pages:

NEN: Information for schools

NEN: Information for suppliers

Questions, answers and progress reports

You can find answers to some frequently asked questions and get the latest update on project progress at the NEN page on the KAREN wiki. We encourage you to join the wiki to contribute your ideas and add your questions:

NEN page on the KAREN wiki

Roles and responsibilities

REANNZ's role in this project is a connectivity one. We will lead the:

procurement of network and related services, including access between the school and the KAREN PoP
local connection support (not internal schools networks)
filtered internet
liaison with network and related suppliers
liaison with schools over network implementation

REANNZ will not be:

providing the curriculum or administration applications and services
providing teacher professional development
delivering the internal schools network upgrades (SNUP)

As the educational lead and sponsor of the project, the Ministry of Education will be responsible for educational policy and outcomes surrounding the project and school eligibility.

The NEN trial extension is supported by the Government and the Ministry of Education, and is part of a range of initiatives announced in the 7 December 2009 edition of the Education Gazette.

Contact

You can contact REANNZ for any NEN enquiries regarding network and service procurement at:
nen@reannz.co.nz

You can contact the Ministry of Education for any NEN enquiries regarding educational policy, content and services and school eligibility at:
nen.trial@minedu.govt.nz

NEN Implementation Manager, Laurence Zwimpfer can be contacted directly at:
laurence.zwimpfer@reannz.co.nz
cell: 027 430 6737
ddi: 04 913 6361