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Background
Information
ARE-ON is a consortium of research and education
institutions and public service agencies that was formed to foster the
development of Arkansas’ research, education, public service and economic
development.
Until recently, the research and education community
depended on the telecommunications industry to provide the physical
infrastructure on which their networks were built. With advances in research
and education applications that require very high bandwidth, network
flexibility, low latency and security, traditional leased-line networks no
longer meet the needs of the R&E community. Optical networks have the
demonstrated ability to meet the research and educational needs by providing
unparalleled flexibility, adaptability, speed, and security.
In December 2005, the State of Arkansas provided $6.4
million to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville to begin Phase I of
establishing the eCorridors’ Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network
(ARE-ON). This funding was targeted to complete Phase I of ARE-ON that
included acquisition of fiber resources for the backbone and equipment to
connect the Fayetteville campus to the national and international
fiber-based R&E networks which includes the new Internet2 backbone and the
National LambdaRail (NLR).
The capital funding for Phase II of the eCorridors
project came from the sale of the general obligation bonds that were enabled
by the Arkansas Legislature and approved by the voters in the November 2006
election. Phase II is underway and includes lighting the network and
completing the connection from the backbone to ten, four-year universities.
Phase III, which includes personnel and first year
operations is the final building piece. The Presidents and Chancellors of
the Arkansas universities generously allocated the mineral lease rights
funds to ARE-ON for two years to fund ARE-ON operations.
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