News for and about the Internet2 community

[Greg Wood <>]

Contact:
Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network - ORION
André Quenneville

416-507-9860 ext 26

$5.8 MILLION INVESTMENT TO CONNECT ONTARIO POST-SECONDARY AND RESEARCH 
INSTITUTIONS TO NEW ORION OPTICAL NETWORK

TORONTO - The Ontario Government and Optical Regional Advanced Network
of Ontario (ORANO) have awarded $5.8 million in funding to 
post-secondary and research institutions to allow them to connect to the 
new ORION optical network initiative.

The Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION) is a 3,700
kilometre high-speed, fibre optic research network. Once fully 
operational, the network will link Ontario's 43 post-secondary 
institutions and more than 50 publicly funded research institutions and 
organizations through 21 network connection points throughout the province.

The funding, announced on April 28, 2003 by Ontario's Associate Minister
of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation David Turnbull, will help 
leverage total investment of $14.4 million. The funding will go towards 
equipment upgrade and connectivity projects that will enable 
institutions and organizations to connect to the network.

"The ORION Network builds on this government's goals by ensuring the
province remains at the forefront of global research and scientific and
medical discoveries," said Turnbull. "It will also optimize Ontario's
current investment in R&D infrastructure, strengthening this province's
research capacity in areas such as engineering, technology and medicine.
This is an important step in connecting Ontario's leading research and
education institutions locally and internationally, so they can 
participate in innovative global research projects."

"Today's announcement is the exciting beginning of a bright new future 
for Ontario," said Dr. Ross Paul, Chair of ORANO and President of the
University of Windsor. "By bringing us the most advanced optical network
infrastructure in Canada, ORION sets the stage for fantastic new
developments in research and education throughout the Province. Our best
researchers, teachers and students will now have the high speed and high
powered connections that will allow them to excel in the new digital
knowledge economy."

"This investment is big step forward in building the critical
infrastructure we need to expand advanced networking to every corner of 
our province," said Phil Baker, President and CEO of ORANO.  "Advanced 
research networks, particularly those using optical technologies, have 
become part of the basic science and technology infrastructure in 
advanced economies and are vital to new research and product 
development," he said.

The funding announcement was made at an official "fibre-splicing
ceremony" marking the opening of ORANO's new offices in Toronto. ORANO 
is a non-profit organization created to build and maintain ORION.

The Ontario Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation and
Ontario’s SuperBuild Corporation are ORION’s primary funding partner, 
with an investment of $32.3 million. The federal government has invested 
$3.4 million through CANARIE, Canada’s Advanced Internet Development
Organization, which operates CA*net4.  Additional private and public 
sector investments over the next three years will bring the value of the 
ORION project to over $78 million.

This follows the Dec. 16, 2002 announcement of a $25 million contract 
with Bell Canada and partners to build and maintain the ORION network. 
Partners include Hydro One Telecom, Nortel Networks, Cisco Systems and 
several regional telecom providers. Many Ontario research and academic 
institutions, as well as community broadband and regional advanced 
networks are also making significant investments to connect to and 
maintain the network.

ORION will be operational by June 2003.


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For further information

André Quenneville
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network - ORION
8th Floor, 34 King Street East
Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2X8
Ph: 416-507-9860 ext 26 / Fax: 416-507-9862

www.orion.on.ca

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