When Alberta’s K-12 schools resumed in-person classes last week, Cybera’s network team really noticed the difference! On Tuesday, May 25, the amount of traffic running over Cybera’s link to the SuperNet more than doubled, from an average of 8.75 Gbps (while at-home learning was going on), to just over 20 Gbps.
Fortunately, Cybera had just completed work to double the capacity of its SuperNet connections in Edmonton and Calgary, going from 20 Gbps to 40 Gbps. This increase will not only allow Cybera to take on new members, but will also accommodate the growing traffic needs of its members.
The capacity upgrade comes as educators become more reliant on online learning platforms and video conferencing tools.
“COVID has forced many teachers and school administrators to adopt digital systems that will likely become entrenched in their day-to-day operations,” says Barb Carra, President and CEO of Cybera. “This means the demand for internet bandwidth at schools will only go up, and we need to be prepared to meet that demand.”
Going forward, the network team is planning to upgrade Cybera’s Calgary core router later this year, which will allow for even more capacity increases throughout the network, including enabling 100 Gbps connections.
The Calgary router upgrade project has been selected for funding support from CANARIE, a national not-for-profit organization that, together with Cybera and 12 other provincial and territorial partners, forms the National Research and Education Network (NREN). This essential collective of infrastructure, tools, and people bolsters Canadian leadership in research, education and innovation by connecting institutions to each other, and to education and research organizations around the world.
In Alberta, +743,000 students, educators, researchers and innovators connect to Canada’s NREN and the world through Cybera.
As well as operating the Alberta portion of the R&E Network, Cybera also offers direct peering services to major content providers, a commercial bulk buying program, and a number of above-the-network cybersecurity services.
To find out more about Cybera and its network services, visit our network page.