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
- Cellular Direct Internet--Internet service via LTE/5G wireless providers
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 Enterprise Device Network Access 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 that must be affixed to a building, while Mobile service allows a dish to be mounted on a vehicle/boat for use while in transit or when stationary. Other mobile use cases must be approved by OTS. 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.
- Cellular Direct Internet service is provided via LTE/5G mobile data providers. This service is activated automatically at all user sites as they are converted to the standard OTS software-defined network solution. CDI provides a low-cost redundancy option for the vast majority of sites, but it may also be used as a primary Internet service at very small offices or for remote workers who utilize the OTS Hospitality Access Point service. LTE technology is best effort with no guarantee of bandwidth. It can work well for general web/email traffic for a small number of users, but it is not ideal for real-time applications like voice and video over IP or for applications that require higher upload bandwidth. FirstNet service via AT&T is available for qualifying sites and does provide priority and preemption over standard traffic.
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
INET service is available for all customers whose user sites connect to the OTS backbone.
IWAY Direct Internet service is available to all OTS customers, but non-consolidated customers must ensure that these connections are properly secured when connecting to their local area networks.
OTS's Starlink Direct Internet service is only available at consolidated user sites where OTS manages the local area network (see Enterprise Device Network Access). Consolidated customers may also use Starlink mobile services for vehicles/boats or as otherwise approved by OTS. Mobile users and teleworkers should consider Hospitality Access Point service instead. Non-consolidated customers may purchase Starlink service directly from SpaceX or a reseller as allowed by OSP procurement rules/contracts.
Cellular Direct Internet service is only available at consolidated user sites where OTS manages the local area network (see Enterprise Device Network Access). Non-consolidated customers may purchase cellular Internet services directly from their vendor of choice as allowed by OSP procurement rules/contracts.
Customers of any Internet service are expected to abide by rules of engagement outlined in the Office of Technology Services Information Security Policy.
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 |
| 40GB Fixed Priority Service | $185 |
| 1TB Fixed Priority Service | $340 |
| 2TB Fixed Priority Service | $625 |
| 50GB Mobile Priority Service | $340 |
| Hardware | $100 |
CDI:
OTS will determine which provider has the best service coverage and data rates for each consolidated user site. If the site qualifies for FirstNet with AT&T, that is generally the preferred option pending a coverage assessment.
| Description | Monthly Rate |
| Best effort LTE/5G | $52 |
*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. Contact OTS at 225.219.4860 for assistance. Then complete and submit the OTS-S1 Communications Service Request form.
IWAY:
Agencies interested in acquiring IWAY Internet service at a site should first open an OTS Service Desk ticket via phone/email/web.
Non-consolidated agencies should then submit an OTS Direct Internet Quote Request. *An OTS engineer will generate this quote request on behalf of a consolidated agency in the course of troubleshooting or completing a project.
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 provide the quote to the requesting agency, and the agency may choose from the responding vendors' options based on their specific technical needs, timeline and/or price. *OTS will recommend the most ideal technical options to consolidated agencies when returning quotes.
The requestor should reply to the quote email indicating which service the agency would like to order. OTS will then request an electronic signature from the agency's Telecommunications Coordinator before proceeding.
The requestor may track the request through their OTS Service Desk ticket.
Starlink:
Agencies interested in acquiring Starlink Internet service at a site should first open an OTS Service Desk ticket via phone/email/web. 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. Service Options will be discussed during the assessment.
OTS will then request an electronic signature from the agency's Telecommunications Coordinator before proceeding.
Cellular Direct Internet:
CDI service is activated automatically at all user sites as they are converted to the standard OTS software-defined network solution. This service may also be requested as part of a Hospitality Access Point deployment. Customers interested in acquiring additional CDI service should first open an OTS Service Desk ticket via phone/email/web.
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. All maintenance activities are announced via the DCO-MAINTENANCENOTIFICATION listserv. The notice will contain the following information:
- Scope: What work is being done
- Impact: What impact to service can be expected
- Reason: Why this work is being done, and why it's an emergency
- Duration: Estimated duration of the activity
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.
