Following the successful voice migration of long-distance traffic to our partner, Aureon, the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) has reached a major physical milestone. With long-distance telecommunications services officially transitioned as of February, our Facilities, Business Services, Engineering teams, and staff from our Network Maintenance Provider, Fiber Network Services (FNS), have shifted their focus to the hands-on teardown of our legacy DMS (Digital Multiplex System) equipment.
While the transition appeared seamless, the work behind the scenes to physically dismantle this network hardware is a massive undertaking that has been months in the making.
We are proud to highlight our evolving partnership as a Zoom reseller, providing the collaboration tools necessary for today’s flexible, hybrid work and learning environments. This collaboration allows us to deliver high-quality communication solutions directly to the devices of Iowa’s public servants, ensuring that distance never stands in the way of productivity.
Real-World Customer Highlights
As our most recent partner to transition, Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management utilized Zoom Phone to modernize their communications. By replacing fragmented mobile devices and legacy systems, they’ve created a unified, agile environment.
"Zoom is a modern communications solution for our team, whether in the office or working from another location. The Zoom Admin portal is intuitive and provides us the ability to customize settings to our specific needs."
— Jonathan Paoli, Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management
We asked five ICN team members to share their childhood dreams, the unexpected twists that changed their career paths, and the best advice they have for navigating the unknown.
Graduates might feel the pressure to have their whole lives mapped out right now. As long as you stay open and flexible, life has a wonderful way of putting you in the right place at the right time.
Dive into these five inspiring journeys right now to see how childhood dreams didn't fade away; they simply grew up into real-world adventures.
Public Service Recognition Week is a time to honor the individuals who work behind the scenes to keep our State’s critical infrastructure running. At the Iowa Communications Network (ICN), public service isn't just a job description, it’s a commitment to every student, patient, and citizen who relies on our high-speed fiber optic network.
This year, as we celebrate the dedication of our team, we are proud to share the results of our recent organizational assessment, which highlights a culture of excellence both inside our walls and throughout the communities we serve.
We had a large group of cybersecurity students from Urbandale HS visit the office. Our team discussed cybersecurity, network operations, and what it takes to protect Iowa’s critical infrastructure.
We shared career paths, including the transition from military service to state government. The students asked questions about our daily work and the industry.
We wrapped up the visit with a tour of the Operations Center and a great conversation about the students' future goals.
Social Media Highlights
State Employee Recognition Day
At the ICN, we’re highlighting a unique part of our culture: the Employee Recognition Committee (ERC). Since 2000, this volunteer-led group has been instrumental in team-building, fundraising, and employee recognition.
Better Connectivity, Better Patient Outcomes
Did you know the ICN manages the Iowa Rural Health Telecommunications Program (IRHTP) with the Iowa Hospital Association? It's a behind-the-scenes operation that powers cutting-edge medical research, virtual specialist visits, and routine telehealth check-ups across the state in the blink of an eye.
The benefits telehealth practices bring to providers and patients by leveraging reliable, secure, high-speed fiber broadband continue to accrue, but it is time to start investing for tomorrow as technologies such as AI, VR, robotics, and next-generation diagnostics are integrated into today’s healthcare systems.
An estimated 60 million American households plan to undertake an outdoor digging project in the next year, according to Common Ground Alliance, but roughly one in six homeowners are likely to not have their underground utilities located before that work begins. In Iowa, contacting 811 to have underground utilities marked before starting an excavation project is the law.
ICN's News and Updates Bulletin is your monthly source for everything happening with Iowa's critical infrastructure. Subscribe here to get it delivered directly to your inbox and catch up on key infrastructure projects, new services and customer stories, and telecom and security updates.
