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CONNECTING CONNECTICUT’S COMMUNITIES

Empowering Our Members with Secure and Reliable Network Solutions

WHO WE ARE

Connecticut’s Trusted Research and Education Network

CEN is Connecticut’s Research and Education Network (R&E) and the state’s trusted internet and security partner. Since 2000, CEN has accelerated the progress of more than 700 community anchor institutions by delivering world-class Internet and network services built for reliability, performance, and scale. Organizations that demand exceptional value and highly personalized service choose CEN for its dedicated, symmetrical connectivity, ultra-low latency, high-capacity options up to 400G, and an exceptional reliability record of 99.99%+ uptime.

CEN’s solutions also stand out for their unmatched value and service. Members benefit from full handoff speeds, usage-aligned monthly pricing, and the stability of 25 years without a price increase—along with no data caps, rate limits, or overage charges. Every connection is backed by CEN’s Hartford-based expert team, offering truly personalized support and 24x7x365 availability to ensure peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience.

CEN Conference ballroom with people sitting at their tables with the caption, '2,000,000+ citizens served'
photo of Hartford, Connecticut skyline with the caption, '700+ member institutions'
photo of calculator with charts under it with the caption, '$30M annual savings'
CEN's wheel including all services in the categories, 'Cloud' 'Security' 'Network' and 'Community.' The services include: Cyber Nutmeg, Community Anchor Program, Annual Conference, Webinars and Workshops, Advisory Councils, DNS Firewall, Student Safety, Managed Firewall. Web Filtering, DDoS Detection and Mitigation, Peer Exchange, Rapid Private Interconnect, Cloud Connect, esports, eduroam, Managed WiFi, DNS hosting, Private Ethernet, and Dedicated Internet.

ADDED-VALUE SOLUTIONS

More Than Just Internet

CEN is more than just an internet provider. CEN serves as the trusted partner through which Connecticut’s digital and human networks connect, collaborate, and share resources to realize the full potential of digital learning, research, and citizenry.

CEN offers network, cloud, and security services PLUS you become part of the CEN community, giving you access to shared expertise, member events, and a statewide peer community.

MEMBER BASE

Serving Community Anchor Institutions

CEN’s primary focus has been and continues to be meeting the needs of Connecticut’s community anchor institutions including: education, health care, research organizations, municipal and state government facilities, public libraries, and businesses. CEN is committed to meeting the needs of these organizations, large and small, public and private, in every town and city, with unmatched performance, reliability, value, and service. CEN, Connecticut’s Trusted Internet Partner, provides the backbone for community growth and development across the state.

Public K-12 Districts

93%

Private K-12 Districts

4%

Public Colleges & Universities

100%

Private Colleges & Universities

74%

Libraries

82%

Municipal Government

76%

State Government Branches

100%

Public Safety

24%

Healthcare

4%

OUR MEMBERS ARE OUR PARTNERS

Created By Members, For Members

CEN is organized and operated unlike any other Internet service provider in Connecticut. Our cost recovery (non-profit) model, pragmatic growth, and effective management have resulted in consistent member savings and cost avoidance, and those savings are passed on to the members in lower prices and larger feature sets. Unlike a typical for-profit vendor-customer relationship, CEN as a not-for-profit partner engages with our member organizations to determine the directions and design of CEN products and services, to develop community training and collaboration events, and to band together for increased purchasing power.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Learn, Share Ideas/Resources, Community

By connecting to the Connecticut Education Network (CEN), you become a member of the CEN Community. This membership provides your organization with access to a research and education network that is based on a cost recovery model providing scaled benefits from negotiated licensing agreements and a supportive community that exchanges best practice, troubleshooting tips and events of interest.

FEATURED MEMBER: UCONN

The University of Connecticut (UConn) supports the teaching, learning, and research activities of over 40,000 faculty, staff, and students on five campuses located throughout the state. Our partnership with CEN enables us to meet the diverse needs of our community – from streaming content in a residential hall to performing data-intensive research – by delivering reliable, high-speed internet.

For UConn, CEN helped establish and now manages a link that provides 100-Gbps connectivity via a fiber-optic network backbone to the internet, our regional campus locations, and Internet2. This enhanced connectivity facilitates collaboration and exchange of vast datasets among UConn researchers and peers at national and international institutions. These capabilities, in combination with the expertise of our faculty, dedication of staff, and performance of the student body, contribute to UConn’s reputation as one of the top 25 public universities in the nation.

UConn Husky logo