Schools Broadband Network

Schools Quadrant MeetingsJanuary 2013

Nick Roberts (Unicorn Programme Manager; and IMT Group Manager for Surrey CC)

Purpose of Session

To consider options available to replace the RM Schools Broadband Contract at end of contract lifeExplain governance and decision-

making processes and structure guiding this thinking

Update on current RM contract

Review options for its replacement at contract end

Q&A

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Governance Structure Schools IT Strategy Board is planning future options

Roger Blackburn (Primary Schools) Chris Gardiner (Special Schools) David Blow (Secondary Schools) Mark Bisson (SCC Schools and Learning) Plus Surrey CC IMT and Babcock 4S reps

Meets regularly - also

Schools Forum – considers financial implications for current and future contracts

Phase Councils – briefing on progress andfeedback on suitability

Quadrant Meetings – mechanism for briefing a wider schools audience

Climate for Change

Circumstances different this time round so new contract needs to reflect this:Schools have full budget autonomy (no central

retention, no Govt funding)Schools must be able to make individual decisionsSchools must be able to decide length of any

engagementContract must keep up with or exceed what is

available in the marketplace for performance and cost

A Brief History Of:Schools Broadband

RM contract for Schools Broadband

Network replacement signed

November 2010

• Originally anticipatedsigning contract in Summer Term ’10, using Harnessing Technology Fund for set-up

• Sec of State for Education removes half of this funding just before contract about to be signed

• SCC and Schools Forum make good funding deficit, but all this delayed signing to November ’10

• 3 year contract ending November ‘13

A Brief History Of:Schools Broadband

RM build core network and roll out pilot sites (Phase 1)

• All but 12 of 400 Surrey schools sign up to be part of this contract which is signed by Surrey on behalf of schools

A Brief History Of:Schools Broadband

Core network goes live and school sites migrated from old contract (Phase 2)

• Really helpful cooperation from schools to make transfer from Easynet network by 30 Sept 11

A Brief History Of:Schools Broadband

Upgrade of bandwidth for “low bandwidth” schools

(Phase 3)

• Disappointment that factors in BT Openreach infrastructure in Surrey mean that some schools have lower than expected bandwidth

A Brief History Of:Schools Broadband

SCC is Lead Authority procuring a new pan

Public Sector network for Surrey

and Berkshire

• UNICORN Project formally launched across wide Partnership Dec ‘10

•UNICORN Contract signed Aug ‘12

• SCC and Surrey District and Borough network components delivered by March ‘13

What is UNICORN?

What makes UNICORN Attractive?Large scale aggregated procurement offers excellent market rate for Broadband

Large scale aggregated procurement offers excellent market rate for Broadband

Transition managed by a schools project team

Transition managed by a schools project team

Broad range of services including:

• Managed or local firewalls

• Managed/local content filtering, profile driven

• VLE, Back-up, network resilience

Broad range of services including:

• Managed or local firewalls

• Managed/local content filtering, profile driven

• VLE, Back-up, network resilience

Cloud-based services including:• Managed telephone system,

pay per handset, no on-site switch, free on-net calls, attractive PSTN rates

• Community network for school to school traffic

• Shared Data Centre facilities for server room equipment

Cloud-based services including:• Managed telephone system,

pay per handset, no on-site switch, free on-net calls, attractive PSTN rates

• Community network for school to school traffic

• Shared Data Centre facilities for server room equipment

What else makes UNICORN Attractive?

Step Change improvements to bandwidth and cost via SuperFast Broadband Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC) green box in road, then copper to

premises Speeds up to 80Mb download, up to 20Mb upload

BT Openreach to deliver SuperFast to 80% of Surrey Surrey CC has undertaken a £20m

market intervention to deliver SuperFast Broadband to the remaining 20% by December 2014

Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) package option with fixed connection charge and reduced excess construction charges will offer very high speed asymmetrical bandwidthat lower price than traditional fibre links

Options for Future Provision

Roadmap Option 1Schools commit to using UNICORN and

the Unicorn Team manages all transition arrangements.

Schools pay on existing banded payment basis for 1 year and then on new UNICORN rates for second year

Options for Future Provision 2

Roadmap Option 2Schools “Go their own way”Banded charges to the point of

termination (Nov ‘13)Each school organises their own

individual ISP service and value-added services and manages the transition

Schools choose when to migrate, but service will terminate 29 Nov ‘13

Next Steps Discussed at Schools Forum

11 January to agree principles Briefing to schools via these Quadrant and

other meetings (incl technical) during January

Formation of dedicated Unicorn Schools Project Delivery Team

Individual Unicorn Offer to each school (including technical proposal and costs) sent to each school in mid-February

Decisions by schools whether or not to participate by 20 March ’13 to enable implementation project to commence

Signing of formal Agreement by each participating school in April ‘13

Questions and Answers