CenturyLink, Education Networks of America Pledge To Maintain Idaho Schools' Broadband
CenturyLink and Education Networks of America said they won’t end service to the Idaho Education Network broadband network on Sunday amid legislative efforts to provide funding to reimburse state schools that have to enter contracts with other vendors if the…
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IEN shuts down. CenturyLink previously had threatened to end its service to IEN on Sunday if the state didn’t pay more than $1.5 million it owes for services rendered on the network. Idaho has been prohibited from paying CenturyLink and ENA for IEN services since state District Court Judge Patrick Owen ruled in November that the contract that established the network was illegal. Owen reaffirmed that ruling last week. Gov. Butch Otter, a Republican, had sought a rebid of the contract last month (see 1501130023). “Our primary focus is on the students of Idaho who have become dependent on these services,” CenturyLink said Thursday, saying it's still working with state officials to receive payment for the IEN services. The Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee refused to implement an emergency contract with CenturyLink and ENA Tuesday, choosing instead to recommend appropriating almost $3.6 million in temporary funding to reimburse schools that switch to other broadband providers for the remainder of the current fiscal year. The Idaho House voted 68-1 Thursday to approve the $3.6 million stopgap funding bill, sending it off for state Senate consideration.