Insights > Case Study
Building the
NETC Network
When a regional healthcare nonprofit formed a coalition to close the broadband gap for rural hospitals across New England, they selected ProInfoNet—through a competitive RFP process—to build a resilient network to connect them.
ABOUT THE CUSTOMER
The New England Telehealth Consortium (NETC) is a regional healthcare consortium in northern New England dedicated to improving access to affordable and reliable telecommunications services for rural healthcare providers and communities.
REGION
New England
COMPANY SIZE
Small Non-Profit
INDUSTRY
Healthcare
KEY SERVICES
Healthcare Connectivity
Network Infrastructure
KEY TEAM MEMBERS
Jim Rogers
Trevor Gordon
Chris Gelo
Ron Barber
In a nutshell
1 The Challenge
In 2007, when NETC was founded, there was not adequate broadband internet infrastructure built out for key anchor institutions like rural hospitals across the U.S.
2 The Solution
Led by Jim Rogers, NETC began as a coalition of 500 healthcare sites that partnered with ProInfoNet to create a high-speed, redundant network designed specifically for healthcare.
3 The Outcome
Today, NETC connects over 1,400 healthcare sites via more than 2,500 circuits, delivering 2 Tbps of bandwidth. With 100% core uptime, 99.999% internet uptime, and 99.983% circuit uptime, NETC is now the largest purpose-built healthcare broadband network in the country.
Challenges
Widespread Gaps in Rural Broadband Infrastructure
At the time of NETC’s founding, many rural hospitals and clinics across the U.S. lacked access to reliable broadband. These anchor institutions needed a dependable way to connect to the systems and tools that were becoming standard in urban settings.
No Network Built for Healthcare
While commercial broadband was available, none of the options were designed for the demands of healthcare. NETC needed a secure, unified network that could support real-time patient data exchange, system-wide telehealth, and HIPAA compliance.
Limited Capacity to Build & Operate
With the backing of a 500-site coalition, NETC had a strong vision, but building and managing a healthcare-grade network across six states required more resources than their internal team could support. They needed an experienced partner to help with the design, deployment, and long-term operations of their network.
Solutions
A Network Purpose-Built for healthcare
Through a competitive RFP process, NETC partnered with ProInfoNet to design a healthcare-focused network from the ground up. ProInfoNet interviewed more than 120 healthcare CIOs to understand exactly what they needed and ensured the final architecture supported the performance, compliance, and reliability demands of healthcare providers.
Redundant & High-Speed By Design
ProInfoNet engineered a dual-core infrastructure supported by three diverse ISPs to guarantee seamless failover. Each site connects to both core routers, enabling automatic switching in the event of a disruption, no manual intervention required.
Managed and Monitored Around the Clock
To ease the operational burden on NETC’s team, ProInfoNet implemented a dedicated 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC) and provided real-time circuit monitoring software, giving members full visibility into performance while taking day-to-day management off their plate.
Results
A National Footprint of 1,400 Healthcare Sites
What began as a 500-site regional effort has grown into a nationwide network connecting more than 1,400 healthcare facilities. NETC now serves as a critical bridge between rural providers and the broadband infrastructure they need to deliver care.
Uninterrupted Connectivity for Critical Services
NETC sites use the network for everything from secure data exchange to remote diagnostics and telehealth visits. The redundant design keeps facilities online through hardware disruptions or ISP outages. With 100% core uptime and 99.999% internet uptime, NETC’s network delivers the consistent, reliable connectivity healthcare organizations need to provide uninterrupted care.
The Largest Healthcare Broadband Network in the U.S.
Today, NETC is believed to be the largest purpose-built healthcare broadband network in the country. As more sites continue to join the network, NETC and ProInfoNet remain tightly aligned—monitoring network performance, resolving issues in real time, and preparing for the next phase of growth with SD-WAN integration through the NETC Next-Gen initiative.