Idaho’s High-Speed Fiber Optic Backbone

Since its inception, IRON has been working for the people of Idaho, providing low-cost, high-speed connections for education, collaboration and research. IRON created its strong voice and place in the research community through its support of higher education institutions and research facilities like INL. It can now provide that support to other nonprofits that could provide significant benefits for our Idaho communities. Idaho is primed to make the most of IRON’s past successes and IRON looks forward to continuing to leverage amazing benefits for the citizens of our state.

NSHE System Computing Services is the recognized leader and catalyst for technology change and innovation in the Nevada System of Higher Education. Their purpose is to facilitate collaborative technology partnerships throughout NSHE and select agencies of the state of Nevada, with an adaptable, reliable, robust and current infrastructure and core application, network and technical services to enable users to excel in their core academic, research, outreach and administrative missions.

AIHEC is the collective spirit and unifying voice of our nation’s Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). AIHEC provides leadership and influences public policy on American Indian higher education issues through advocacy, research, and program initiatives; promotes and strengthens indigenous languages, cultures, communities, and tribal nations; and through its unique position, serves member institutions and emerging TCUs.

The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) is a high-performance, unclassified network built to support scientific research. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (SC) and managed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ESnet provides services to more than 50 DOE research sites, including the entire National Laboratory system, its supercomputing facilities, and its major scientific instruments. ESnet also connects to 140+ research and commercial networks, enabling DOE-funded scientists to productively collaborate with partners around the world.

C-Light is a state-wide network of direct fiber connections. Managed by Clemson University this network reaches between Atlanta, Clemson, Greenville, Charlotte, Columbia, and Charleston. C-Light provides direct access to the National LambdaRail, Internet2 and other national and international research networks.

C-Light specifically provides faculty across the state with the infrastructure they need to collaborate with colleagues and access resources nationally and internationally and ensures the capability to apply for major research grants from funding agencies like the National Science Foundation.

In 2017, C-Light welcomed a new member in Furman University, who added a high-performance computing cluster of their own. Additionally, the C-Light backbone was upgraded to a 100 gigabit connection from its previous 10 gigabit connection.

The Sun Corridor Network supports research and education at gigabit speeds around Arizona.

The three state universities—Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona—collaborated to create direct high-speed connections with each other and with Internet2, sponsored by the Arizona Board of Regents.

All Arizona research and education institutions are eligible to join Sun Corridor Network, which is E-Rate eligible. Members include K-12 schools and school districts and community colleges.

Members using Sun Corridor Network can leverage Internet2’s high performance, low latency network and enjoy the benefits of a direct connection to Amazon Web Service and Microsoft AZURE without the cost of an additional point to point connection.

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) mitigation service is available automatically to Sun Corridor Network users and at no additional charge for the “On-Demand” (self – monitored) feature. Since standalone DDoS mitigation is not E-Rate eligible, this adds substantial value to Internet/Internet2 service.

Like the national Internet2 network and other regional research and education networks, the Sun Corridor Network is uniquely designed and engineered to meet the needs of some of the most demanding Internet users in the country: scientists, academics, and researchers. About 95% of the combined Internet traffic of the three Arizona state universities transits the Sun Corridor Network through two 100 Gbps connections to Internet2 and the commercial Internet in Tucson and Phoenix.

The Sun Corridor Network is the only Internet2 Connector Network in Arizona.

One network member leveraged the unique opportunities of high-speed connectivity for high school band students eager to prove themselves in the next arena—college. Sun Corridor Network director Michael Sherman explains, “The Paradise Valley high school band beamed virtually into the ASU Gammage Auditorium for a live performance with the ASU orchestra. Music is one of those areas where you just can’t have a one-second delay.”

ASU Conductor Dr. Jason Caslor used LoLa (Low Latency) technology, coupled with Sun Corridor Network and the national Internet2 network, to virtually conduct the two groups. They experienced an indistinguishable delay of less than one-thousandth of a second even though they were physically 25 miles apart.

In addition to local opportunities, the Sun Corridor Network—through their sponsorship of members into the Internet2 community—enables users to join over 80,000 other schools in accessing educational content available through over 300 higher education member institutions, and over 50 leading science, education and technology partners such as the National Parks Service, NASA, the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Institutions served:

• • K-12 schools: 5
  • Universities: 3
  • Community Colleges: 2
  • Research institutions: 2
  • Regional Network: 1
  • Public Media Stations (PBS, NPR): 2
  • Public Safety Agencies: 2

Community Anchor Program member since: July 1, 2012

Connecticut Education Network (CEN), the nation’s first all-optical research and education network, delivers reliable, highspeed internet access, data transport, and value-added services to its members drawn from K-12, higher education, libraries and municipalities throughout Connecticut. CEN’s statewide fiber optic network connects more than 1.8 million students, educators, researchers, state and municipal employees, and citizens in support of Connecticut’s workforce and economic development.

Network Nebraska is a collaborative statewide networking effort under the auspices of the Nebraska Information Technology Commission (NITC) to share telecommunications resources, network services, and applications among eligible participants. Network Nebraska is the term used to describe the statewide multipurpose telecommunications backbone and all of its associated service offerings and support. Network Nebraska is made possible through a consortium of K-12 and higher education entities working together to provide a scalable, reliable and affordable infrastructure capable of carrying a spectrum of services and applications.