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Creating Florida LambdaRail: Transforming Networking for Research and Education

This presentation by Larry Conrad, Associate VP and CIO at FSU and Chair of the Florida LambdaRail board, outlines the strategic advantages of leveraging the National LambdaRail (NLR) to establish a high-speed networking infrastructure across Florida’s educational institutions. Emphasizing enhanced networking costs, flexibility, and responsiveness to evolving needs, it highlights Florida's history of collaboration and the critical role of legislative support. The Florida LambdaRail aims to provide superior connectivity, foster innovation, and effectively position Florida institutions on par with leading research entities nationwide.

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Creating Florida LambdaRail: Transforming Networking for Research and Education

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  1. Leveraging the NLR: Creation of the Florida LambdaRail Larry Conrad Associate VP and CIO, FSU Chair of Board, Florida LambdaRail, LLC

  2. Network Drivers & Motivations in Florida • Improve networking costs…”disruptive pricing!” • Control of our networking destiny • Flexibility in responding to future needs • Responsiveness to the needs of higher ed • Innovation & support for corp. research partners • End-to-End networking • Eliminate “place” as an issue for collaboration • (...same as for the NLR)

  3. Prior Efforts At Building a High Speed Network for R&E • Florida institutions have a long history of collaboration and cooperation • Legislature has provided many incentives for institutions to work together—a few examples: • Common course numbering system • University gen ed requirements met by CC AA degree • Florida Information Resources Network—FIRN • SASS: common system for reporting academic progress • Florida Academic and Career Tracking for Students—FACTS advising system

  4. Prior Efforts At Building a High Speed Network for R&E • Enduring interest in building a statewide high-speed Research and Education network • FL institutions had made two prior attempts...

  5. Prior Efforts At Building a High Speed Network for R&E • Circa 1997 • Attempt to expand FIRN’s mission (State K-12 network) to provide high-speed connectivity to universities for research and economic development • DOA because of failure to obtain state funding • Circa 1999 • Original Internet2: NSF connection grants assisted development of a Florida gigaPOP at UF • Died when Abilene fundamentally altered the value proposition for regional gigaPOPs

  6. New Opportunity: the National Lambda Rail • The NLR articulated a new value proposition for national and regional networking: owned fiber assets • Disruptive pricing: leverage the industry shakeout • Redefine capacity and connectivity options: 10Gb wavelengths (“waves”) • Eliminate the issue of “place” for connectivity and collaboration

  7. New Opportunity: the National Lambda Rail • Consequently, when we learned of the NLR initiative... • 6 FL universities were able to make a moral commitment in just 3 working days! • A real tribute to the leadership, vision, and commitment of the university executive leaders!

  8. NLR owned fiber Managed waves PoP for primary connection point by a member (“MetaPoP”) PoP needed because of signal regeneration requirements but can also be used for secondary connection by a member PoP established by NLR for members regional needs PoP established at exchange points NLR WaveNet, FrameNet & PacketNet PoP NLR WaveNet & FrameNet PoP NLR WaveNet PoP NLR Footprint & PoP Types – Phase 1 and 2 SEA POR SYR BOI STA NYC PIT OGD DEN CLE KAN CHI SVL SLC WDC RAL LAX ALB TUL PHO ATL SAN DAL ELP PEN JAC BAT SAA HOU

  9. FLR: The NLR Build Out In Florida • FLR is a LLC has submitted its 501(c)(3) application • FLR equity participants are all public corporation or 501(c)(3) entities • 9 equity participants: FAU, FIT, FIU, FSU, Nova SE, UCF, UF, U of Miami, UWF • Build out in the $17M range over 5 years • No dependence on add’l. state funding (!) • Members expect to offset a significant portion of their costs by aggregating services and future cost avoidance

  10. FLR Goals and Uses • NLR connectivity • Build a high-speed FL network for R&E • Put FL universities on an equal footing with the best research institutions in the nation • Production services by end of 2004 • Aggregate commodity ISP & Internet2 services • Provide services to other FL colleges & univ. • Potential for corporate partnerships and economic development, e.g., Scripps Research Institute

  11. Ownership/Management Model • 31 Units of Ownership • 1-4: one 1, one 2, and seven 4 • Company contracts for all corporate services...have no employees • Executive services: FSU • CTO/NOC: UF • Administrative agent: UM • Outside attorney • Probably an outside PR firm

  12. FLR Design:

  13. FLR Challenges • Funding! • No State of FL support • Public universities funding a private company

  14. FLR: In Summary… • Many details yet to be worked out • Members will provide connection to other entities • Has already engendered other spinoffs: • Internet Coast LambdaRail (ICLR) • Tallahassee Fiber Loop (TFL) • Will provide ~100-fold increase in network speed! • …which will fundamentally redefine our ability to collaborate and compete

  15. Questions? www.flrnet.org www.nationallambdarail.org

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