10 Gigabit-per-second Business Ethernet enables multi-campus collaboration and large data transfers to foster knowledge-sharing across multiple university locations
WEST PALM BEACH – August 29, 2017 – Comcast Business today announced that Florida Atlantic University (FAU) based in Boca Raton, Florida, is using super-fast 10 gigabit per second Comcast Business Ethernet across its multiple University locations. This technology allows students and faculty in different locations to quickly access data, collaborate on research and share information in a way that was not possible before.
FAU is a public, research-driven institution with more than 30,000 students, offering over 180 degree programs across six campus locations throughout Florida, including Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Fort Pierce (or Harbor Branch), and Jupiter, in addition to the main Boca Raton campus. The university caters to “upper division” students who have highly specialized knowledge or skills in a particular field.
The university’s extensive research program allows students and faculty to collaborate and share information for big discoveries and breakthroughs in the fields of science, medicine and humanities. Previously, it faced challenges with limited network service between its different campuses and the main data center, which inhibited access to research tools and resources, limiting campus-wide collaboration and impacting the university’s ability to recruit top students and faculty.
After receiving a federal grant to procure multi-gigabit service between its three largest facilities, FAU selected Comcast Business to install two 10 gigabit per second (Gbps) Ethernet Private Lines (EPL) to connect the university’s Boca Raton campus to its Jupiter location, and its data center, and between the 50-mile distance from the Jupiter campus to Harbor Branch. The 10 Gbps lines allow students and faculty working at those three locations to access data, and share and collaborate on research activities across fields of study, both within the FAU network and with other universities, fostering knowledge-sharing across campuses made possible due to the high-capacity network infrastructure.
“Research is a key part of education for any university because its provides the foundation for learning and discovery and is particularly fundamental to the culture at FAU, which focuses on providing significant resources to our students and faculty so they can advance research in a number of fields,” said Mehran Basiratmand, chief technology officer at Florida Atlantic University. “The network connections between campuses and the capacity to support downloads of bandwidth-intensive files, such as those used by oceanography and brain mapping researchers, has significantly improved the university’s ability to expand our footprint and attract top talent to participate in leading research programs.”
“As technology continues to evolve, so do the tools and learning methods used to compete for the best students and faculty,” said Rich Rollins, Vice President of Business Services for Comcast’s Central Division. “With Comcast Business Ethernet, colleges and universities can take advantage of high performance computing to further academic programs, information-sharing and collaboration that leverages today’s digital and mobile technologies. FAU has successfully built a multi-gig network that will revolutionize its research program to have a profound impact on its students and faculty, advancing its reputation as a leading educational institution.”
About Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county servic
