Peer Networks
LEARN is a charter member of the NLR and has committed $5,000,000 over five years to its creation. At present, NLR has a full-service node in Houston, and some services available in Dallas, San Antonio and El Paso. LEARN shares collocation space with NLR along its Houston to Dallas path and leases a 10-g service from NLR between San Antonio and El Paso. Contributing LEARN members are beginning to make use of this emerging network through the LEARN point-of-presence in Houston.
LEARN is an affiliate member of Internet2. At present, LEARN does not directly provide connection to Abilene, the Internet2 network, although the LEARN infrastructure is being used by member organizations to access that network. Internet2 will be decommissioning its current Abilene research and education network in mid-2007 and be replaced by a new, next-generation infrastructure (currently known as NewNet). LEARN will be the aggregator for Texas's Internet2 members into NewNet, condensing the current four aggregators into one.
Peer Network Map
Relations to Public Sector Providers
The University of Texas System Office of Telecommunication Services operates the TexasHigher Education Network (THEnet). THEnet is currently using LEARN’s backboneinfrastructure.
- TTVN is the wide-area data and distance learning network for institutions, agencies andaffiliated organizations of The Texas A&M University System. TTVN currently uses LEARN for the core of its statewide network IP backbone. Website: http://ttvn.tamu.edu/
- The Northeast Texas Consortium of Colleges and Universities (NETnet) is the collaborativeeffort of 15 higher education institutions in rural northeastTexas. The Consortium is based at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. As a participant in LEARN, the Consortium will act as a network hub for the region, distributing connectivity via NETnet to each of its college or university sites. Website:http://www.netnet.org/
- The North Texas Gigapop is a cooperative association of research-oriented institutions for the purpose of sharing connections to high-speed networking resources. The Gigapop provides connectivity to a global research network through Internet2 via the Abilene network. The NTG will use part of the LEARN network for transport.
- The Southeast Texas GigaPOP, in the Houston area, provides networking infrastructure to support the academic and research mission of the connecting institutions. The network also acts as an aggregation point for members to connect to Internet2. Website: http://www.gigapop.gen.tx.
- The state of Texas, through its Department of Information Resources (DIR), provides avariety of services to state-supported institutions. As part of the formal agreement with the State,LEARN may provide new or make available existing capacities to DIR at such rates as may bemutually agreed. DIR may gain access to LEARN’s infrastructure for the purpose of providingservices, where appropriate and cost-effective, for its statutorily designated constituency. Website: http://www.dir.state.tx.us/
- Texas Education Telecommunications Network (TETN) is a private video/data networkamong the 20 Texas Education Service Centers (ESC) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA).TETN provides a centralized video network to its 21 members and also serves as the primarypath for school district video traffic moving between the ESC regional networks.Website:http://www.tetn.net/
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