Qwest donates $1.6M in data-networking equipment to ISU 

Idaho State University’s College of Technology received a $1.6 million donation of data-networking equipment from Qwest this week.

The donation, announced Oct. 29, will benefit students in ISU’s Information Technology Systems program, giving them the opportunity to learn how to build and repair modern telecommunications networks.

Ranging from routers to various Cisco servers, most of the equipment had never been used and was being stored at warehouses in 10 cities around the country. Qwest said it didn’t need the spare equipment after recent upgrades to its network. It is estimated that the 41 pallets of materials would be worth about $2 million purchased new.

According to the university, students will use the equipment to build small-scale equivalents of the telecommunications networks that currently serve Idaho users. They will also be able to create and troubleshoot network outages.

ISU’s College of Technology is the state’s largest post-secondary technical education institute. The Information Technology Systems program, a Cisco Networking Academy, is designed to provide entry-level skills in repairing and servicing computer equipment and peripherals, and in the setup and maintenance of computer networks.

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