The National Network of Texas Rope the Light

Texas Network What do you expect from a Low Calorie Beer State Network? Process Incentives RFP generation Results

Process incentives Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund NLR ETF Existing State Networks –Tex-AN –THEnet (operated by UT System) –TTVN (operated by A&M System) –Texas Tech –NETnet

Funding incentives Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) –Funding for: Education Libraries Non-profit hospitals –2002 Planned to fund a state optical network instead of individual sites

TIF RIP TIF demise “incentive” –$7.5Million MAY be allocated –New organization A total of $7.5 million for the Optical Fiber Network may be transferred to a consortium of three or more institutions of higher education, located not less than 50 miles apart, operating under an interagency agreement for the exclusive purpose of operating a fiber optic network for research and education for use by and for the benefit of higher education and affiliated entities in the State of Texas. The fiber optic network shall not be used, directly or indirectly, with or without charge, to provide telecommunications or information services to the public in competition with the private se ctor. LoneStar Education and Research Network (LEARN is BORN)

Beneficial Timing Texas owes a debt to –NLR effort –SURA effort Existing State networks –THEnet –TTVN –Tex-An (State Government) –Others

Name the Sites

Texas RFP Dark Fiber or Leased Lambdas permitted –Geography JUST TOO Large –Speed to Service Allowed shared infrastructure –Operator other than Texas –Guaranteed lambda quantity Not restricted to a single vendor fiber topology

What we GOT Traditional Dark Fiber –Vendor Topology Restrictions Shared Service –Two Vendors offered 8 or 16 guaranteed 10Gigabit lambdas to Education Leased Lambdas (20 year)

Fiber offerings to Texas

Without TIF Existing Network Replacement –THEnet –TTVN –6 Internet2 Connectors Grants –NSF for ETF –Medical Grants

Texas Purchase June 2004 Future- Fiber ? Or Lambda ?

Outcomes Maximized funding for fiber and Optical equipment –THEnet and TTVN fund the network –LEARN consults with the selection Fiber Optronics Multiple Optical Vendor Solution NLR in Houston ETF from NLR Continue to seek solutions for the rest of Texas