Overview of the Fort Collins Community Network (FCCN)
The Fort Collins Community Network (FCCN) is a collaborative networking association of public-sector entities in northern Colorado. By leveraging collective resources, it aims to provide participants with improved networking capabilities, cost-effective solutions, and access to advanced Internet infrastructure.
Applicable to:
Fort Collins IT Professionals, Community
Features
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Enhanced Network Speed and Quality: Members share network resources, allowing for high-speed connectivity and better quality of service.
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Cost Efficiency through Economies of Scale: Networking costs are lowered as shared infrastructure reduces individual expenses.
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Optimized Traffic Performance: Improved local and private sector traffic performance benefits participants through dedicated network routes.
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Shared Technical Expertise: Technical knowledge is pooled among members, providing broader expertise and more robust support.
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Internet Access via FRGP: Internet connectivity is facilitated through the Front Range GigaPoP (FRGP) in Denver, with access to high-speed networks and the next-generation Internet2 for K-20 educational sites. Local access is typically established over leased fiber from the City of Fort Collins or the Platte River Power Authority.
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Networking Access Only: The FCCN is not an Internet Service Provider (ISP) as it does not offer typical ISP services, such as email, domain name service, or IP address management. Instead, it is a collaborative network that shares networking access among public-sector entities.
Philosophy
The FCCN is designed to provide high-quality, low-cost networking with minimal administrative overhead. Operating as an unincorporated entity, it maintains an informal structure, which contributes to its cost-effectiveness and operational flexibility.
Participants
Members of the FCCN include:
- Colorado State University
- The City of Fort Collins
- The City of Loveland
- Front Range Community College
- Larimer County
- Platte River Power Authority
- Poudre School District
- Liberty Common Schools
- UC Health (Poudre Valley Hospital and Medical Center of the Rockies)
These participants are governed by a Steering Committee composed of administrative contacts who make decisions by majority vote, typically achieving unanimous agreement. Angie Asmus at Colorado State University serves as the technical lead.
Network Architecture
Cost Sharing
Costs within the FCCN include one-time setup costs and recurring monthly fees. One-time costs involve initial equipment and port expenses, while monthly recurring costs cover fiber leases and are adjusted according to internet capacity. All participants, except CSU, share a Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC) to the FRGP. Each month, the FRGP bills Colorado State University for costs associated with the PVC. These costs are partitioned (with no overhead or administrative fee added) among the sites sharing that PVC added to the costs of the circuit to the FRGP and the total costs are according to their measured Internet usage during the month. Although the costs are not constant, they “float” as does a site’s usage and as do the FRGP’s costs, this algorithm yields very low costs for all participants.
Peering with Private Sector Providers
Peering improves performance by enabling direct routing paths between networks.
The FCCN supports peering with private-sector networking providers under certain conditions:
- The provider must have sufficient technical expertise to engage in BGP4 routing
- The provider must provide and pay for its transport to the FCCN
- The FCCN will provide, free of charge to the provider, a port on its router, and manage the provider’s connection to the FCCN
- The provider must enter into a legal agreement with Colorado State University specifying the terms and conditions for the connection. See the "FCCN Peering Agreement" attached.
Contact
Sites interested in peering with the FCCN should contact Angie Asmus.