History of the NEN
Between 2000 and 2001, ten Regional Broadband Consortia (RBCs) were set up under the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) initiative. Their common aim was to realise the promise of broadband technology in education, connecting all learning communities across England. The RBCs are groups of Local Authorities (LAs) that were established to provide cost effective and coordinated connectivity between schools and the internet. They are responsible for rolling out broadband to all schools in their regions by 2006. During 2003, the networks they created are joined together by high speed links via the JANET network (developed originally for the Higher Education sector), creating a single and secure private network, known as the National Education Network (NEN), when joined with the Broadband initiatives in Learning and Teaching Scotland, Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
This network means that schools can enjoy a range of broadband services without individual pupils going onto the internet. Many internet resources are mirrored within the network, offering faster performance to users as well as greater security. Users can also access the wider internet through the NEN’s secure gateways, with access policies managed by the local RBC. The NEN ensures that all schools, colleges and universities are connected through a single backbone enabling a high quality learning experience in a safe and secure networked environment.