MCNC to launch fourth annual 12 Days of Broadband for North Carolina

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Dec. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MCNC, the technology non-profit that builds, owns, and operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced the fourth year of the 12 Days of Broadband will kick-off on Thursday with a series of stories about the impacts of high-speed connectivity this year.

Beginning Dec. 4 through Dec. 19, the 12 Days of Broadband will showcase a dozen broadband innovations impacting everyone in North Carolina and across America as well as preview what's to come in 2015.

"This year MCNC celebrates the 30th anniversary of NCREN," said MCNC President and CEO Jean Davis. "The 12 Days of Broadband is a great way to showcase how investments in network bandwidth in North Carolina can help ensure our citizens and institutions are prepared to thrive in today's interconnected economy."

For three decades NCREN has provided the broadband infrastructure to connect North Carolina citizens to the path of success. The expanded NCREN of today is 2,600 miles spanning almost every county in North Carolina. Today's users of NCREN include all 17 institutions of the University of North Carolina System, all 58 North Carolina Community Colleges, all 115 K-12 public school districts as well as a growing number of K-12 charter and private schools, the majority of the state's private colleges and universities, several non-profit and public health care facilities, and a number of the state's premier research institutions. NCREN also serves as the Internet gateway network for all state employees.

The 12 Days of Broadband will spotlight such efforts this year as E-Rate reform, the future of gigabit and next-generation networks in North Carolina, Wi-Fi and digital learning initiatives, the net neutrality debate, health care and more.

It's been another exciting year for connectivity in North Carolina, and MCNC continues to set the pace for national research and education networking by leveraging NCREN for true high-performance broadband connectivity for community institutions in K-20 public and private education, non-profit health care, public safety and many federal, state and private research institutions.

Those on Twitter can follow the 12 Days of Broadband using #12days or follow directly at @MCNC.

About MCNC
MCNC is a technology non-profit that builds, owns, and operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN). For more than a quarter century, a growing number of research, education, non-profit health care, and other community institutions have connected to NCREN to utilize this leading-edge broadband highway. Today, NCREN serves the broadband infrastructure needs of more than 450 of these institutions including all K-20 public education in North Carolina. The recent expansion of NCREN and its capabilities allows us to customize network services and applications for each of these institutions more than ever before as we also look to further enable private-sector providers to bring cost-effective broadband infrastructure to rural and underserved areas of North Carolina. Our business and partnering strategy gives our state a real competitive advantage and is driving the new broadband economy in North Carolina. Visit www.mcnc.org. MCNC Social: Facebook, Twitter @MCNC, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn.

Editorial Contacts
MCNC Communications Hotline: (919) 248.4105
Noah Garrett, NGC Communications, on behalf of MCNC: (252) 423.1277 or [email protected] 

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SOURCE MCNC

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http://www.mcnc.org