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The Oklahoma Research Corridor is a high-speed, fiber optic information system operated by OneNet, the state’s telecommunications and information network. The Research Corridor runs between the University of Oklahoma (OU) in Norman, the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater and the University of Tulsa (TU) in Tulsa — a combined distance of more than 250 miles. |
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Through OneNet’s Research Corridor, researchers at Oklahoma’s comprehensive research universities can transmit video and data between campuses at the speed of light, bridging geographic distances and allowing researchers to collaborate on projects as if they were on the same campus. |
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Structure OneNet’s backbone consists of 42 hub sites, or electronic connection sites, located at Oklahoma colleges and universities and vocational technical schools. All hub sites are connected to the Research Corridor. OneNet is one of 31 major access notes on the Abilene Network, the most advanced research and education network in the nation. Additionally, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma are among 50 universities nationwide to receive the Abilene Network’s high-performance services through OneNet. The Research Corridor at Work The Oklahoma Statewide Shared Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Facility, located on the OSU campus in Stillwater, contains the only NMR spectometer of its kind in a 450-mile radius. The machine, which allows researchers and students to explore the detailed structure of molecules, is used for research in chemistry, biochemistry, physics and engineering. While OSU operates the $2 million NMR facility, scientists from all Oklahoma universities, research foundations and private industry can use OneNet to control the NMR spectometer from their location to analyze data. The NMR facility and OneNet connectivity will help in the development and testing of new products. NMRs are used in numerous applications, such as the development of new medicines, antibodies, vaccines, pesticides, and natural and synthetic materials. Some Oklahomans may not realize that Norman, Okla., has the third largest concentration of meteorologists in the world. The Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms at the University of Oklahoma in Norman is the premier academic weather research center in the United States. CAPS has developed a weather prediction system capable of accurately predicting storms several hours in advance. The weather data is collected, analyzed and distributed worldwide through OneNet. It is estimated that this technology has the potential to save up to $14 billion in insured losses each year. Additionally, CAPS and American Airlines have signed a three-year agreement to jointly develop an operational weather decision support system. American invested $1 million in CAPS for research and development activities the company hopes will result in savings of several million dollars annually in weather-related losses, such a re-routed flights or damage to its fleet cause by hail. OneNet connections between campuses allow scientists to work together in larger, more competitive research groups. For example, the Oklahoma Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is using OneNet to build cross-campus research centers that compete nationally and internationally for research funding. |
Speed: OneNet can transfer 2.5 billion bits of information per second within the Research Corridor, which has 100 to 1,000 times the capacity of the current Internet. Using the Research Corridor, the complete works of Shakespeare can be sent from Tulsa to Oklahoma City in 0.016 seconds. A digital mammogram can be sent in 0.16 seconds. Capacity: Using state-of-the-art equipment, OneNet can transmit 1,344 times more information over the Research Corridor than the average business Internet connection. That means that if the Internet were considered a four-lane “information superhighway,” the Research Corridor would be a 5,376-lane, 12-mile-wide superhighway. Cost: The complete OneNet system was established with $14 million from a $350 million statewide capital bond issue approved by voters in 1992. Through a unique partnership with business and industry and state agencies, OneNet acquired fiber optic lines for the Research Corridor for $1. Reliability: OneNet provides reliable service, with an average “up-time” of 99.9 percent. With its back-up connections, equipment and power supplies, the Research Corridor is always “on.” Security: Oklahoma’s Research Corridor offers secure information transmission to ensure sensitive records and documents are protected from unauthorized viewing or tampering. |
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The Research Corridor and OneNet have been instrumental in placing and keeping Oklahoma at the forefront of gene sequencing and biotechnology. The OU Advanced Center for Genome Technology is the fourth largest center for human genome sequencing in the world and the second largest center for microbial genome sequencing in the United States. The Center recently loaded its genome databases and analysis routines on OneNet’s Sun database server, thus giving scientists from Oklahoma’s research universities and other campuses the opportunity to access and analyze data over high speed lines. Researchers at OU and TU are collaborating on an air quality project through the Center for Environmental Applications of the Oklahoma Mesonet. The project brings together OU’s strengths in weather modeling and TU’s strengths in air quality measurement. Through OneNet’s high-speed connections between Norman and Tulsa, researchers are combining air quality models, regional air movement weather models and new Mesonet observational stations to produce a pioneering regional air quality prediction capability. It is anticipated these efforts will result in a prototype air quality testing system for the city of Tulsa that can later be extended throughout Oklahoma and the rest of the nation. The Research Network and the FutureHigh-tech companies look at three things when making a location decision – telecommunications infrastructure, office space and talent. In OneNet, Oklahoma has a world-class telecommunications infrastructure. Office space in Oklahoma is abundant. And an increased focus on economic development has led Oklahoma colleges and universities to more directly focus their resources on preparing citizens for high-tech, high-growth industries. This combination will ensure Oklahoma can compete for the knowledge-based industries of the 21st Century. One key to economic development is building critical mass in a handful of key industries. By using the most advanced technology currently available to connect Oklahoma’s research universities to each other as well as to universities around the world, OneNet is ensuring Oklahoma has the critical mass it needs to leverage its own research capabilities with those in other states. OneNet and Oklahoma’s research universities have partnered with industry-leading companies to develop next generation Internet technologies. This means that Oklahomans will be among the first in the nation to have access to the most advanced communications services in the areas of video conferencing and distance learning. The cooperation and collaboration enhanced by the Research Corridor and OneNet will help Oklahoma strengthen its current research efforts and build Oklahoma’s reputation as a national and global research leader. Improved research opportunities and partnerships between colleges and universities and business and industry will help generate new, high-paying jobs in Oklahoma; attract high-tech industries to our state; and improve the quality of life for all Oklahomans. By facilitating collaboration between researchers and attracting high-tech companies to invest in Oklahoma, OneNet helps ensure that research and technologies make the transition from university labs to the marketplace, where these discoveries benefit all Oklahomans. |
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