Internet
Internet
OTS offers two types of Internet service, and many agencies will use a combination of these two services:
- INET: Shared Internet service for an entire agency through OTS data centers
- Direct: Internet service for individual State offices
- IWAY--land-based Internet services
- Starlink--satellite Internet service via SpaceX
INET
The INET line of service allows an agency to purchase shared Internet bandwidth to support their users and resources located in the Baton Rouge Capitol Park and other statewide locations where direct Internet connectivity is not available or not allowed for security reasons. Sites that connect to the OTS statewide backbone via the Consolidated Network Access service will generally use their agency’s INET subscription to communicate with the Internet. Security is enforced on INET traffic in a central location either by OTS consolidated security infrastructure or by a non-consolidated agency’s own security equipment/services.
Direct
Security must be enforced on Direct Internet traffic at each site, either by OTS consolidated security infrastructure or by a non-consolidated agency’s own security equipment/services. At user locations that are fully supported by OTS, Direct Internet service will be deployed along with secure Managed LAN services.
IWAY provides land-based Internet services statewide through commercial vendors for individual State offices. The services are available at various speeds and may be provisioned through either symmetrical or asymmetrical arrangements. The actual available speeds and features are dependent upon location and available vendors. Security is enforced on IWAY traffic at each site, either by OTS consolidated security infrastructure or by a non-consolidated agency’s own security equipment/services. Managed router and security options are available with IWAY.
Starlink provides high-speed priority Internet service statewide via SpaceX low-orbit satellites. This is a good option for more remote locations with no available telecommunications fiber services. Data transmission limits vary by subscription level. Fixed service requires installation of a satellite dish at a specific location, while Mobile service allows for a dish to be moved between locations or even installed on a vehicle and used in transit. Physical requirements, including line of sight and max cable distance, must be met at each site in order to successfully install and operate the required hardware.
Additional information is provided below. If you need assistance with this service, please contact the OTS Network Support team:
Contact OTS
- Customer Self-Service Ticketing Portal
- Email Customer Service
- 225.219.6900
- 844.219.6900
Internet services may be requested by:
- Any agency or department of the State of Louisiana
- Any political subdivision of the State of Louisiana, including city and parish government
- Private and public educational institutions within the state of Louisiana from kindergarten through university level
- Other qualifying institutions as described in the Administrative Rules and Regulations, Title 4, Part IX Telecommunications
Customers of the Internet service are expected to abide by rules of engagement outlined in the Office of Technology Services Information Security Policy.
Non-consolidated agencies may purchase IWAY or Starlink services directly from the provider if the annual total for the service is less than $2,500, as provided for in the Delegation of Authority for Telecommunications Requests.
OTS has the authority to issue domain names in the "la.gov" or "louisiana.gov" domain space, if needed. OTS can also run secondary Domain Name Services for your organization as a backup for the primary server, and there is no charge for this service. For additional information, refer to Domain Name Services or contact OTS Directory Services at dnsrequests@la.gov.
Subscribers are encouraged to use private network addresses on their local networks due to the scarcity of Internet Protocol version 4 network addresses which requires the use of a firewall or other translation mechanism to translate the private addresses to public addresses for traffic bound for the Internet. OTS can provide a limited number of public IPv4 addresses to subscribers upon request. There is no charge for IP addresses; however, OTS does require detailed information regarding how a subscriber intends to use the addresses. When a subscriber cancels Internet Service, they will be required to relinquish those IP addresses within 30 days of cancellation. See Acquiring IP Addresses Guidance for additional information.
OTS Internet Services are designed to provide connectivity only. Managed router and security services are available with IWAY but are not applicable for consolidated agencies. Services like email, agency-specific DNS, and web services are not included with any Internet services. Subscribers may purchase these services from OTS separately; or, if not included in the statewide IT consolidation, may set up their own services or contract with a commercial provider.
INET:
Subscribers pay a monthly Internet service fee based on the amount of shared bandwidth they choose. MPLS Intrastate Transport and Consolidated Network Access charges may also apply.
| Description | Monthly Rate Per Mb |
| Up to 19 Mbps | $35 |
| 20 Mbps to 49 Mbps | $31 |
| 50 Mbps to 99 Mbps | $27 |
| 100 Mbps to 149 Mbps | $23 |
| 150 Mbps to 249 Mbps | $19 |
| 250 Mbps to 499 Mbps | $16 |
| 500 Mbps to 749 Mbps | $13 |
| 750 Mbps to 999 Mbps | $10 |
| 1000 Mbps + | $8 |
IWAY:
Rates are determined by the speed and the feature of the service. Obtain specific service pricing quotes using the process described under the How to Order section.
Starlink:
Each Service Tier allows a maximum amount of data to be transmitted over the connection per month. A separate hardware fee will be charged with each service subscription.
| Description | Monthly Rate |
| 1TB Fixed Priority Service | $340 |
| 2TB Fixed Priority Service | $625 |
| 50GB Mobile Priority Service | $340 |
| 1TB Mobile Priority Service | $1250 |
| Hardware | $100 |
*A support service fee of 0.5% shall be applied to the monthly cost of these services.
INET:
Review the complete description of the INET service along with associated Consolidated Network Access and MPLS Intrastate Transport services, and decide what configuration of services best meets your organization's needs. Then complete and submit the Enhanced Network Services Access Request (NS-43) form.
IWAY:
Agencies interested in acquiring IWAY Internet service at a site should complete and submit an NS-47 IWAY Quote Request Form. OTS will determine which vendors are able to provide the service in the requested area(s) and obtain and validate rate quotes from the available vendors. OTS will then provide the quote to the requesting agency. If multiple vendors respond to the request for quote, the requesting agency may choose from the responding vendors based on the agency's specific technical needs, timeline or price.
To accept the quote and order the service, the agency should complete and submit the NS-46 Service Order Form.
Starlink:
An agency Telecommunications Coordinator may send an email to the OTS Network Support team. Provide the physical address and contact info for each site. The OTS Network team will request additional information as needed and may perform a site assessment to verify physical requirements can be met before fulfilling the order.
Submission of all forms implies acceptance of all applicable terms and conditions as outlined in the service request form.
Although OTS network services are designed to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at times it is necessary to perform maintenance on network components in order to maintain quality service. OTS strives to perform this maintenance with the least impact on its customers as outlined in the network maintenance schedule. If you should experience trouble with your network services outside of a scheduled maintenance window, please contact the OTS Service Desk at 225.219.6900. See Trouble Reporting for more detail.
