Minnesota’s Network for Enterprise Telecommunications: MNET

Since 1993, MNIT has managed Minnesota’s Network for Enterprise Telecommunications (MNET), a public-private partnership. MNET is designed to deliver a secure, reliable integrated statewide network for all branches and levels of Minnesota government, public safety, and education.

MNET Serves Minnesotans Across the State

MNET supports digital operations and connections for more than 375 partners in:

• Executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government
• All 87 counties and some cities
• Public safety, libraries, and health care
• Education, including K-12 education consortiums, University of Minnesota, and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

What Services Does MNET Make Possible?

MNET provides a business-oriented, statewide telecommunications strategy to address the full range of telecommunications services used by state agencies and local government customers. Services range from basic phone service and call centers, to telecommuting support for state employees, and video conferencing services that support long-distance learning for students. The strategy also provides wireless and statewide broadband access to the Internet, making it possible to provide Minnesotans with access to modern digital technologies and government services in an effective, timely and cost-effective manner.

Supported MNIT Services by the Numbers

• WAN - Connecting over 1,700 locations in 300+ cities to MNET.
• LAN - Managing 1,200+ locations and support for 6,500 LAN and 2,300 WLAN devices.
• Voice - Supporting 35,000 phones and 2,000 contact center agents in 55 contact centers.
• Firewall - Protecting over 1,200 state office locations and the two main State data centers.
• Conferencing - Providing video and audio collaboration in more than 500 locations.

MNET Features

• 32 regional hubs, fully redundant and secure, with dual connectivity, UPS power, and fail-over equipment.
• 923 locations interconnected across more than 194 cities statewide.
• Security built into design, including DDOS protection.
• High-capacity speeds up to 10 GB Ethernet.
• Internet2 connectivity.
• IPv4 data transfer; IPv6 available upon request.
• MPLS-enabled network offers virtual private networks (VPN).
• QoS (Quality of Service) for smooth, efficient traffic at three levels: Real time for voice and video, internal MNET traffic, and traffic between MNET locations and the internet.
• Dedicated high-speed cloud connectivity and high-capacity fiber system through partnership with the University of Minnesota and Northern Tier Network Consortium (part of BOREAS-Net).
• Best possible connectivity for the lowest available price from our 50+ MNIT-managed, vendor-provided services and 1,000+ leased line circuits.
• Built on relevant international network standards created by IETF, ISO, and other international standards bodies.
• High speed backbone network supports “jumbo frames” that can carry 8192-byte Ethernet frames.