Interview: Dustin White, Technology Director for Early County School District
Dustin White
Technology Director for Early County School District
WANRack: Dustin, thank you for taking the time to catch up with us! To start today’s interview, would you mind telling us about your background and how you came to your current role at the School District?
Dustin White: I have been with the district for ten years but stepped into the Technology Director role in 2020. Before being with the district, I worked in IT.
WANRack: Set up the District’s Network before WANRack?
Dustin White: Our network upgrade was one of the first projects I tackled when promoted to Technology Director. At the time, our network was similar to what we are getting from WANRack today. The only things we didn’t like were the topology and that the fiber was old. We were definitely due for an upgrade.
We started to research to see what else was out there. We knew we wanted a private fiber network but didn’t know how to get it! So we searched around to find the best fit for us, and I am positive we discovered that with WANRack!
WANRack: How did you know it was time for a Network Upgrade?
Dustin White: We started to look around and think about a network upgrade because our current contract with our provider was ending. We had no problems with them, but we definitely wanted to change things. So for us to be E-Rate compliant, we sought bids from other vendors. In those bids was WANRack. They stood out from everyone, including our current provider. What they were offering for the price they were showing us was incredible!
WANRack: What specific Changes were you looking for in your network upgrade?
Dustin White: As I said, we didn’t necessarily have any problems with our provider at the time. We knew we wanted private fiber again, so the main changes we were looking for were a better price point and custom topology. Another big thing was the ability to upgrade when we needed to with no extra costs!
WANRack: What did your timeline look like for this project? How early did you start to plan?
Dustin White: We started the October leading up to the “E-Rate Season” (July 1). Our planning consisted of researching vendors and budgeting.
WANRack: Did you ever consider a special construction?
Dustin White: Nope, we didn’t. It was new territory for me. I had never dealt with E-Rate before, so we just stuck to what we knew. We went an all-MRC route, which we were comfortable with!
WANRack: How did the construction project go?
Dustin White: It was seamless, so smooth, and easy! The weekly update calls with the WANRack operations team kept me informed and looped in on what was happening. WANRack handled all the permits and negotiations. The project was done on time, and was a seamless transition to get turned on! It was stress-free!
WANRack: Do you have any key takeaways or advice for anyone looking to do a network upgrade?
Dustin White: Not really advice, but as smooth as this process and project have gone, I don’t know why anyone would hesitate.
WANRack: What do the next 5 – 10 years look like?
Dustin White: I have built-in renewals, so hopefully, they are with WANRack!
