What is NCKCN?

North Central Kansas Community Network, also known as NCKCN, is a public/private partnership with the North Central Regional Planning Commission (NCRPC). NCRPC is a multi-county public planning and development organization. NCKCN, on the other hand, is a non-profit private organization that currently serves (14) communities within North Central Kansas with High-speed Fixed Wireless Internet as well as provides other great services to these locations. Both organizations are head-quartered in Beloit, KS.

How is NCKCN organized?

NCKCN was organized in November of 1995 as a non-profit organization in the state of Kansas and is registered as such with the Secretary of State. It is managed by a Board of Directors.

What is the difference between a non-profit and a for-profit corporation?

The difference between a non-profit and a for-profit corporation lies not in the realization of a profit, but rather in how the profit generated is distributed.

The for-profit corporation is owned by an individual or a partnership and is operated with the expectation of a personal monetary return on investment. The net profit realized after expenses are deducted from gross receipts/sales and can be distributed to the owner or the partnership in any manner or amount chosen.

The non-profit corporation is generally organized to address a specific range of community needs and is owned by no specific individual. A Board of Directors, whose members are not compensated for their time and effort, governs such corporations. The net profit realized after expenses are deducted from gross receipts/sales and is retained by the corporation to further its activities or is distributed to other non-profit companies selected by the Board of Directors.

How is NCKCN structured to deliver service?

NCKCN is first and foremost a Wide Area Network (WAN) of computers joining together participating North Central Kansas communities and educational institutions as one regional community. As such, the original partnership of North Central Regional Planning Commission and The Information Age established the central computer hub of the WAN in Beloit for the approximate cost of $35,000. NCKCN links this hub to other NCK locations by locating associated equipment in those communities desiring service and by leasing either a 128K ISDN, Frame Relay or 56/64K telephone line from the specific community's telephone service provider. This line provides the direct tie that joins the local equipment with the hub. Once attached, communication is possible with all other sites also on the regional WAN.

NCKCN now interconnects much of the region with high-speed wireless backbones and, working with Cunningham Telephone and Cable - also known as CTC, with high-speed fiber lines. This ties the regional WAN to the Internet and thus the world of information technology with the fastest most reliable service in the area.

What services does NCKCN offer?

One of the primary benefits is access to the Internet and the associated services of Email, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Virtual Domain storage and administration, Database storage and integration, etc. for individuals, businesses and institutions.

Businesses, municipalities and individuals possessing a Virtual Domain account, which is a higher cost access service, are provided individual specialized reports that detail the activity associated with "hits" on their Internet site. These reports are provided at no extra charge to the business, in fact, they are set up so the business can access them daily if they choose. This permits businesses to better manage their advertising efforts by measuring the type of visiting clientele, the number, the frequency and the area of interest.

Another benefit is the immediate tie that exists between secondary educational institutions joining the system and North Central Kansas Technical College (NCKTC). Currently, NCKTC is working with its staff to develop support programs that can be accessed by the various high schools about the region.

What are the costs to the individual or business user?

These are spelled out on the NCKCN services page, however, there are generally two classes of residential users and several classes of business users.

Residential and Business members pay a monthly low-cost fee to become members of NCKCN and we extend that service to all Cunningham customers as well.

Schools, libraries, governmental offices and other public access points receive a free subscription and (1) free email account. Faculty and students are given free individual email accounts that can be used while on school property.

Non-profit institutions are delivered most services directly from NCKCN at no charge.

Do local subscribers have access to service support?

Yes, in a number of ways. NCKCN's toll-free technical support is accessible through contact with NCKCN itself either by telephone or through the WAN. Sometimes, depending on user equipment and local telephone service, technical problems arise that must be thought through with service delivery.

NCKCN also offers online support guides, of which, answers most general questions for online users.

The responsibility of NCKCN is to see that the user's system, if it meets the minimum requirements, is configured to the point that a connection can be established between the user's computer and the WAN.

What is NCKCN not responsible for?

NCKCN does not assume responsibility for faulty or out-dated user equipment. Those problems should be referred to the business that sold the equipment or to the individual who installed the equipment.

Also, any problems that are specific to the browser software (i.e., Internet Explorer, Mozilla FireFox, Google Chrome, etc.) should be referred to either the vendor or the manufacturer of the product.