National LambdaRail/Florida LambdaRail

Larry ConradAssociate VP and CIO, FSUBoard Chair, Florida LambdaRail, LLC

October 29, 2003 2

Network Drivers & Motivations

Improve networking costs…”disruptive pricing!”

Control of our networking destiny

Flexibility in responding to future needs

Responsiveness to the needs of higher ed

Innovation and support for corporate research partners

End-to-End networking

Eliminate “place” as an issue for collaboration

October 29, 2003 3

Why Fiber?

Capacity needed is not otherwise affordable

Capabilities needed are not available

Cheaper in the long range

Provides leverage with the telco carriers

Insurance against monopoly behavior

Stable and predictable anchor points

Higher Ed can’t be held hostage to what industry thinks the market wants

October 29, 2003 4

National Lambda Rail

Sparse dark fiber National footprintServes very high-end Experimental and Research Applications4 - 10Gb Wavelengths (or “waves”) initiallyCapable of 40 10Gb wavelengths at build outLeverage industry shakeout: distressed vendors are very interested in selling a National footprintDisruptive pricingPartnership model

October 29, 2003 5

NLR Participants

Equity owners:– CENIC (CA)– PNWGP (U of WA)– Internet2– Virginia Tech– Duke– Georgia Tech– Florida LambdaRail– CIC Group—Big 10

(IU lead)

Other:– Carnegie Mellon/PSC

(purchase services)– NCAR/UCAR—CO

(potential)– Texas Group

(potential, UT Austin lead)– New Mexico

(potential)

NLR Goals and Uses

Research! (including Network Research)

Experimentation in networking and in education

Education

Academic Medical Center driven Clinical activities

Development & implementation of network & computing technologies not otherwise likely to be generally available commercially as early as needed in R&E.

October 29, 2003 7

NLR footprint and physical layer topology

15808 Terminal15808 OADM15808 RegenFiber routeLeased waves

Note: California (SAN-LAX-SVL) routes shown are part of CalREN; NLR is adding waves to CalREN systems. Also the CENIC SVL-Sacramento (SAC) ELH route will become part of NLR SVL-SEA in exchange for a SVL-SAC LH route NLR is building (not shown here).

ATL

POR

RAL

MEM

NASPHO

OLG

CHICLE

KAN

OGD

BOS

NYC

WDC

STR

DAL

DEN

LAX

SVL

SEA

SAN

PIT

JAC

BOI

October 29, 2003 8

NLR footprint and physical layer topology – Phase 1

ATL

POR

RAL

CHICLE

KAN

OGD

WDCDEN

LAX

SVL

SEA

SAN

PIT

JAC

BOI

15808 Terminal15808 OADM15808 RegenFiber routeLeased waves

Note: California (SAN-LAX-SVL) routes shown are part of CalREN; NLR is adding waves to CalREN systems. Also the CENIC SVL-Sacramento (SAC) ELH route will become part of NLR SVL-SEA in exchange for a SVL-SAC LH route NLR is building (not shown here).

October 29, 2003 9

NLR Partners and Costs

NLR technology partners– Cisco Systems (electronics/optronics)– Level 3 (fiber)

~$80 M over 5 Years

October 29, 2003 10

FLR: The NLR Build Out In Florida

NLR build out in FL: FLR, Florida LambdaRail

FLR equity participants are all public corporation or 501(c)(3) entities

Current members:FAU, FIT, FIU, FSU, Nova SE, UF, U of Miami, UCF, UWF

Expect FLR build out to be in the $20M range over the next 5 years

FLR is a LLC with plans to seek 501(c)(3) status

October 29, 2003 11

FLR Goals and Uses:

NLR connectivityBuild a high-speed FL network for education and researchPut FL universities on an equal footing with the best research institutions in the nationCommodity ISP aggregationInternet2 aggregationPotential for corporate partnerships and economic development

October 29, 2003 12

One FLR Build Out Option

October 29, 2003 13

In Summary…

Many details yet to be worked out, e.g.,

Expect members will provide connection to other entities

Will provide at least a 100-fold improvement in network speed!

…which will fundamentally redefine our ability to collaborate and compete!

Questions?

www.flrnet.org

www.nationallambdarail.org