Merit Network's \"Blue-Line\" Moves Closer to Completion

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Merit Network's "Blue-Line" Moves Closer to Completion

April 30, 2008

By Brian Warkoczeski

With the recent completion of a fiber optic connection between Midland and Saginaw, Merit Network has moved one step closer to completing the "Blue-Line" portion of its backbone optical network in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

Over the next few months, the three remaining segments (Midland to Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Pleasant to Big Rapids, and Big Rapids to Howard City) are scheduled to be completed, with the entire "Blue-Line" network being operational by the end of this summer.

Started in April 2005, the 17-segment "Blue-Line" network will total over 500 miles of fiber-optic cabling when complete. Each connection is currently provisioned at 1 gigabytes-per-second of traffic, however Merit's engineers can increase the network's capabilities by simply changing the optics and electronic equipment as needed in the future. During peak times, Merit's entire backbone currently averages 6 gigabytes of traffic across the network on a daily basis.

"The completion of the "Blue-Line" will provide Merit's Members with an advanced network infrastructure that has the flexibility to meet their needs far into the future," said Bob Stovall, Merit Network's Network Operations Manager.

The facilities-based network enables Merit to offer its membership a wider array of services that can utilize the network. MeritMail, MeritVoice, and Merit Video Collaboration Service (MVCS) are among the new services that have been launched recently, and each is possible thanks to the high-speed, high-capacity infrastructure that has been built into the "Blue-Line" and Merit's backbone network.

"With the current infrastructure, the Merit community and Michigan's research and education network can provide leadership in network utilization," according to Stovall. "Dynamic Circuit Service (DCN), IPTV services, disaster recovery, and services we haven't even thought of yet can take advantage of our robust networking in the future and give our Members more opportunities to leverage the network to help their organizations."

In addition to completing the last leg of the "Blue-Line," Merit is working on projects in the Upper Peninsula that will increase service to the region and provide additional redundancy. Merit will be partnering with AT&T to install a CSME network that will connect Marquette, Houghton, St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie. By late summer, a second gigabit connection to Chicago from Iron Mountain will be provisioned, increasing the redundancy from the Upper Peninsula.

About Merit Network

Merit Network, Inc., a non-profit corporation governed by Michigan's public universities, owns and operates America's longest-running regional research and education network. Founded in 1966, Merit supports the high-performance networking needs of Michigan's universities, colleges, K-12 schools, libraries, state government, healthcare, and other non-profit organizations. Through Merit, Michigan's research and education organizations have access to leading-edge network research, state and national collaborative initiatives and international peering. www.merit.edu

For press/media contact:

Elwood Downing
Merit Network, Inc.
Phone: (734)527-5702
Email:

Go to the Merit Network News Archive.