The Three Rivers Optical Exchange (3ROX), the high-performance Internet hub operated and managed by the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC), and Drexel University in Philadelphia are now directly connected via high-performance, fiber-optic network. They have connected via the FrameNet service of National LambdaRail (NLR), a non-profit organization that links more than 280 U.S. universities and private and government laboratories.

The new link provides a direct connection, with bandwidth of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 billion bits per second), about 100 times faster than current high-end download rates (10-15 megabits per second) for most residential Internet service. This upgraded link between 3ROX and Drexel augments current service, two five gigabit connections, provided by the 3ROX/Drexel Internet2 hub, formed in early 2011. This 3ROX/Drexel partnership provides network services to universities, research sites and K-12 schools in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia along with Drexel and its affiliated research sites and the 14 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities.

For education and research, this upgrade offers important benefits. It easily allows for further connectivity with the KINBER/PennREN cross-state network that is currently being constructed.

It represents a significant performance upgrade and also provides redundant connectivity and will foster research collaboration, say both PSC director of networking Wendy Huntoon and John Bielec, chief information officer at Drexel.

“This link, which comes as a direct result of collaboration between 3ROX and Drexel, serves the major research and education institutions in Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia,” said Huntoon. “It provides the highest quality of service currently available, along with flexibility to easily extend the network; it is the framework for a consolidated high-performance network infrastructure across Pennsylvania.”  

“This connection provides substantial benefits to the many Internet partner institutions of both Drexel and 3ROX,” said Bielec, “including access to new research/education services through NLR’s FrameNet.”

More information about 3ROX:  http://www.psc.edu/networking