Merit Completes 10-Gbps Network Upgrades In Ann Arbor, Chicago, Flint
ANN ARBOR -- Merit Network Inc. announced Thursday the upgrade of optical equipment at several key locations on its network. The upgrades increase capacity at four Merit member sites on Merit's core backbone in Michigan and three locations on its Chicago Metro Fiber Ring.
Eastern Michigan University, the University of Michigan-Flint, the Genesee Intermediate School District and the Washtenaw Intermediate School District all received refreshed equipment that enables the sites to connect to the network at higher speeds. The upgrade increases their respective connections from 1 Gbps (gigabits per second) to 10 Gbps.
Said Michael Milliken, director of network operations for Merit Network: "Our members face challenges of increased traffic and usage over their networks today, largely because of students' use of their own devices to access the network. The new equipment helps Merit and our members stay ahead of the curve with additional capacity and has been installed successfully in time for the new school year."
Refreshed equipment at UM-Flint and Genesee ISD create an improved 10 Gbps ring for the Flint community, which includes a 10 Gbps path to a Merit PoP (Point of Presence) in Flint. The improved connectivity will enable greater network utilization for the area, which was operating near its previous 1 Gbps capacity.
Increased capacity at EMU and Washtenaw ISD completes a 10 Gbps fiber ring for the Ann Arbor community. The Ann Arbor Community Ring also includes the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Merit's Arbor Lakes PoP. With all 10 school districts in the Washtenaw ISD education system connected by fiber, the upgrade to the ISD's head end makes the Ann Arbor Community Ring especially robust.
Said Elwood Downing, Merit vice president of member relations, communications, services and product development: "Washtenaw ISD has been a strong collaborative partner for Merit Network over the years. It is an organization that does great things for Washtenaw County and we are proud to support their efforts and have them as part of the Merit community."
Merit also completed equipment upgrades at three critical network exchange points in Chicago. The upgraded equipment provides Merit's network with 30 Gbps capacity for its Chicago Metro Fiber Ring, improving both operability and resiliency.
Chicago is a major point of presence on Merit's network, enabling access to the Tier 1 Internet and a myriad of providers' networks and content for peering. The improved 30 Gbps capacity across 3 geographically distinct access points ensures Merit will continue to deliver a high level of service to its Membership, even under adverse circumstances.
At each of the sites in Ann Arbor, Chicago and Flint, Merit installed Juniper EX4500 Layer 3 Switches.
The upgrades are part of Merit's continual process for improving its backbone infrastructure. In April 2012, Merit upgraded optical equipment at sites in Monroe, Southfield and Toledo, creating 10 Gbps paths between the three locations. In December 2011, Merit completed 10 Gbps upgrades at 16 nodes on its backbone in the Upper Peninsula and the Western Lower Peninsula, enabling an immediate transition to REACH-3MC infrastructure, which is nearing completion.
Merit Network is a nonprofit corporation owned and governed by Michigan's public universities. It owns and operates America's longest-running regional research and education network. In 1966, Michigan's public universities created Merit as a shared resource to help meet their common need for networking assistance. Merit provides high-performance networking and IT services to Michigan's public universities, colleges, K-12 organizations, libraries, state government, healthcare, and other non-profit organizations.
For more information: www.merit.edu
