Data Pipe Links Atlanta, Chattanooga, Oak Ridge
Published Apr 08, 2002
One of the largest data pipes in the country will connect Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Atlanta with an offramp in Chattanooga.
The progressive city has plans to capitalize on the high-speed research network that includes the world’s most powerful computer and fiber-optic network and will eventually tie in to the Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, N.C.
Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker has emphasized the need for a strong digital vision for the community. A partnership of the Electric Power Board, ORNL and the city of Chattanooga launched MetroNet, a 61-mile fiber-optic loop in the downtown area.
The Electric Power Board donated the two strands of dark fiber ring to aid in economic development efforts. MetroNet allows businesses and institutions with high data-transmission needs to access high-speed fiber optics at a much lower cost than has ever been available in the city.
“This will identify Chattanooga as a place of preference for companies that use data transmission as a big piece of their core business,” says Corker.
The Oak Ridge link will be connected to the basement of a new Engineering Building at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The building will be complete in 2002, but there’s a temporary link in the Computing Sciences Building on campus. The connection also helps the university increase its commitment to applied research and provides hands-on learning opportunities for students.
“Our ability to be directly connected to Oak Ridge in this manner will open up opportunities to UTC and to the businesses in our community that we’ve never even thought about before,” Corker adds.
Story by Sharyn Matthews
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