The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) announced a full migration onto a new 100-Gigabit (100G) route to Denver, a move aimed at delivering faster and more reliable service to users statewide.
The previous Denver path relied on four separate 10G circuits from a prior vendor, spanning from Council Bluffs to the CoreSite Data Center in Denver. Those links were prone to instability, frequently causing disruptions in service.
After evaluating bids, ICN pursued a modern replacement that would offer higher capacity at a comparable cost. The team concluded that a single 100G connection could deliver substantially more bandwidth while eliminating the need for the four 10G circuits.
The program also featured strategic partnerships with Uniti and Great Plains Communications, with a critical step in Omaha, Nebraska. ICN established a new presence at the 1623 Farnam Data Center in Omaha, creating a direct link to the new Denver path and expanding Midwest peering capacity.
To support the increased speed, ICN upgraded the Denver CoreSite switches and installed a new 100G-capable switch at the 1623 Farnam facility. The 100G western path became fully operational in August 2025, and by October 2025 ICN began migrating all data traffic onto the new path. In November 2025, ICN terminated the four older 10G circuits, realizing monthly recurring savings of more than $1,000.
Key benefits include:
- Capacity increase: from 40 Gbps (4x10G) to 60 Gbps total capacity, enabling better handling of peak traffic.
- Reliability: the new 100G path has shown far higher stability, with far fewer interruptions than the old 10G circuits.
- Cost savings: annual recurring fees reduced by more than $12,000, improving long-term budget outlook.
ICN says the upgrade aligns with its mission to provide Iowa with a faster, more reliable network while delivering ongoing cost efficiencies for state agencies and residents.
