TPOC 2006 Annual Report

Telecommunications Planning and Oversight Council
November 1, 2006

Appendix A: Description of Network

TPOC is committed to meeting customer demand for reliable, cost-effective, robust, and technologically advanced networking solutions. These solutions include voice, data, videoconferencing, and Internet services as provided to state agencies, universities, education service centers, and political subdivisions, such as cities, counties, independent school districts, and municipalities.

Core DIR telecommunications services include:

CCTS – Telephone support services in the Capitol Complex
TEX-AN 2000 – Long distance voice and statewide data services
WAN Services – Wide area network and services
Telecommunications Go DIRect Contracts – Secondary services such as wireless voice and data, videoconferencing, and paging
Internet Access – Internet access for eligible entities
Austin-Area Services – Services including the Capitol Area Network (CAPnet) and the Greater Austin Area Telecommunications Network (GAATN)

Capitol Complex Telephone System

CCTS provides a wide range of voice and data services, including centralized telephone service for the state agencies in the Capitol Complex in downtown Austin. CCTS supports approximately 20,500 stations and 12,600 voice mailboxes.

CCTS offers the following services:

Local telephone service
Five-digit extension dialing
Voice mail
Automated Call Distribution (ACD) and reporting
New telephone installation
Moves, adds, and changes on existing phones
State operators
State telephone directory updates
Directory services
Telecommunications materials and supplies
Caller identification (Caller ID)
VOIP from CCTS to Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio

TEX-AN 2000

The centralized telecommunications system for the state is known as TEX-AN. Currently, TEX-AN supports 596 customers with more than 6,400 circuits across 600 cities and within nearly every county in Texas.

The current technological platform is called TEX-AN 2000. It provides long distance voice services and statewide data services, including Internet access. The TEX-AN 2000 architecture provides a solid statewide telecommunications infrastructure that is adaptable to changing requirements and can incorporate new and emerging technologies. The TEX-AN 2000 platform provides unified, scalable, redundant, flexible, and extremely cost-effective networking solutions.

TEX-AN 2000 provides the following voice and data services and features:

Voice Services
- Toll-free service
- Long distance service
- Directory assistance
- Dedicated circuit access
Data Services
- Frame relay/Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and MPLS
- Access services
- Internet access
- Point-to-point circuits
- DSL

WAN Services

The DIR WAN was originally created to provide network connectivity and Internet access for the Health and Human Services agencies. With the migration to an IP-based solution, DIR will offer service through the statewide IP Services Gateway (ISG) network to agencies and eligible customers throughout the state.

Internet Access

Statewide Internet service is aggregated in Austin. Connections are offered to Internet service providers (ISPs) via dynamic routing protocols that ensure route diversity. DIR has designed this solution so that an agency’s Internet traffic uses the ISP that offers the best path to the agency’s desired destination. In addition, should one ISP service fail, the agency automatically achieves alternate connectivity via a complementary provider.

Telecommunications Go Direct Contracts

In addition to its primary services, DIR offers Go DIRect contracts for telecommunications services. [19] These contracts are awarded on behalf of the state according to state competitive bidding requirements, and are designed to satisfy user requirements for easy-to-use telecommunications services contracts. The comprehensive suite of products and services offered by these contracts includes:

Local telephone services
Wireless/cellular data services
Wireless/cellular voice services
Pagers and paging services
Calling cards
Video services
Payphone long distance service
Foreign language interpreter services

Austin-Area Services

Capitol Area Network

DIR provides network communications for the Capitol Complex through CAPnet, a new state-of-the-art SONET infrastructure that is fully redundant and reliable. CAPnet uses state-owned fiber-optic cable to connect the Capitol Complex buildings and serves as the statewide gateway for Internet access. The new SONET infrastructure also allows DIR to deliver a variety of circuit solutions that agencies may use as interoffice connections across the Capitol Complex and the Austin metropolitan area. Through these services, CAPnet provides quality connections and Internet access for the state.

Greater Austin Area Telecommunications Network

GAATN is a metropolitan-area fiber-optic network offering voice, video, and data communications across Austin. GAATN is owned by a consortium of local organizations and state agencies, including the Austin Community College, Austin Independent School District, City of Austin, Lower Colorado River Authority, State of Texas, Travis County, and University of Texas at Austin. With cutting edge technology on a state-of-the-art, fiber-optic system, the GAATN platform allows its public entity participants to improve telecommunications efficiencies.