Deployed over 1,540 miles of dark fiber, the FLR network infrastructure provides for a dedicated statewide communications facility linking major nodes located in Pensacola, Crestview, Tallahassee, Tampa, Winter Haven, Miami, Orlando, Gainesville, Melbourne, Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville.

The foundation of the infrastructure is a dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM)-based optical footprint using Cisco Systems’ NCS 2000 optical electronic systems with a capacity of 40 wavelengths per fiber pair. Each wavelength can support transmission up to 100 billion bits per second (100 Gbps).

On top of the optical infrastructure is built an Ethernet based MPLS transport facility which provides for Internet, Internet2 and high speed IPv4 and IPv6 transit between participants. Additionally, private layer 2 or layer 3 services (VPN) may be provisioned.

Each Equity Partner is provided a primary 10 Gbps and a secondary 1 Gbps connection to the MPLS backbone.   Through advanced technologies, multiple waves are available along the optical backbone in support of primary and secondary access for each partner institution, as well as dedicated waves for research activities across institutional boundaries.

The network operations center is hosted at the University of Florida. For more information, see the FLR NOC website.

Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation

Utilizing dedicated and shared 100 Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet or 1 Gigabit Ethernet high-performance data circuits, FLR participants are provided with additional capacity “on demand” to accommodate bursts in data-traffic, videoconference, or other special requirements.

ISP Connectivity

Connectivity to Commercial Internet Service Providers is available in order to provide economical and reliable Internet service to FLR participants.

National and International Research Connectivity

Connectivity to advanced production regional and national networks, such as Internet2,  the GLIF, and Energy Sciences Network supports new applications and services.

High Speed IP transit

High Speed IP transit paths between participants, supporting both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols. FLR is designed to allow growth in terms of the number of hosts connected as well as the amount of data transmitted.

Peering

Arrangements with other networks and traffic exchange points allow FLR to route and exchange network traffic, resulting in fewer hops and faster access to user destinations.

Dedicated Wavelengths

For research applications needing a dedicated wavelength service, FLR offers participants point to point 1.0, 2.5, 10 or 100 gigabits per second optical lambdas as a complement to the FLR optical-based backbone services.

A compilation of Important Information and links related to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak

As Florida's universities and colleges transitioned to on-line learning in response to the Covid-19 outbreak, we at Florida LambdaRail renewed our commitment to providing the same excellent service our members and affiliates have come to expect from us. We understand doing our job, and doing it well, is essential to ensuring college and university operations continue with no disruptions.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding how FLR may help your institution during the on-going Covid-19 response, do not hesitate to reach out to us. As always, we make it our mission to ensure your needs are met.

The FLR team

Information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Covid-19 Information from the CDC ...
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Florida Department of Health Covid-19 Information

https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/ ...
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Covid-19 Information from FLR’s Partner Institutions

Below are links to each FLR Equity Partner's #Covid-19 update pages: Website FAU http://www.fau.edu/coronavirus/ FGCU https://www.fgcu.edu/coronaupdate/ FIT http://www.fit.edu/coronavirus FIU https://www.fiu.edu/coronavirus/ ...
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The addition of Bloomberg terminals will allow students access to this important technology for supply chain and T&L analysis as Bloomberg terminals offer powerful data & analytics, industry-leading collaboration tools, and multi-asset execution capabilities. Students will also have the opportunity to become “Bloomberg Certified,” a designation that is becoming increasingly important in the T&L job market.

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John Hall – Jack to all who knew him - passed away from a sudden illness over the December holiday break.

Jack was one of FLR’s Chief Business Development Officers and one of our first employees, creating many of the processes and procedures we use today to provide IT services to our members and affiliates. He was 84 years old and still working every day helping to grow our company and guide our members and affiliates.

Jack came to FLR in 2005 after retiring as Chief Technology Officer at Florida Atlantic University. While at FAU, he was instrumental in bringing the Boca Raton University into FLR and elevating its IT operations. Under his watch, Jack modernized the FAU data center and was instrumental in the university being recognized as one of the 100 best IT departments in the country. Before working at FAU, Jack worked in the IT industry and served his country for 8 years in the US Air Force, rising to the rank of Captain, serving as a Missile Launch Officer and attending the Air Force Institute of Technology. His military service was recognized with several commendations, including the Air Force Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Airforce Outstanding Unit Award.

Jack was a larger-than-life presence. His friends and family (including longtime partner Carol, 7 children, 12 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild) will tell you of his love, in no particular order, for cigars, golf, Bombay Gin, the Northern Illinois Huskies, and the Chicago Cubs. And of course, FLR. This company would not be what we are today without his talents, commitment, energy, brains, and wonderful good humor.

A memorial service and celebration of life reception will be held on January 13.

The memorial service will be held at Bay Pines National Cemetery, 10000 Bay Pines Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33708, on January 13, 2023, from 12:45-1:30, with Military Honors, Catholic Prayer Service, and Eulogies.

An open house reception to celebrate Jack’s life will follow at the VFW Post 4364, 5773 62nd St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33709 from 2:00 pm to 4 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to be made in Memory of John Hall, to Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL. (Notification information, optional: Mary Malloy, 10039 Oasis Palm Dr., Tampa, FL, 33615, marymalloy40@gmail.com).

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Thanks to the generosity of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, an $11.7 million research vessel will soon make the trek from California to its new home in St. Petersburg.

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J. Travis Hunsucker, ocean engineering and marine sciences assistant professor, will provide support for NASA’s Landing and Recovery Team. Through a contract with Jacobs Technology, Hunsucker will utilize his expertise in wave and ship dynamics in the offshore recovery effort near San Diego next month.

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The FLR Board of Directors held its most recent quarterly meeting on Monday, November 7, at Florida Institute of Technology. The visit was the first for the Board of Directors since Florida Tech joined as an equity member in 2004.

“We are proud to be part of Florida LambdaRail and very much enjoyed hosting the Board of Directors,” said the university’s executive vice president, provost and chief operating officer Marco Carvalho, Ph.D., who also serves as representative to the FLR Board. “As Florida’s STEM university, Florida Tech works tirelessly to advance scientific knowledge, foster multi-disciplinary collaboration, and nourish the entrepreneurial spirit in our community, so it was a pleasure to showcase those values to my colleagues on the board.”

In the wake of the 2020 pandemic year, the FLR Board of Directors made it a priority to re-engage with their colleagues by holding many of their meetings on the campuses of the 12 equity-owning universities.

“Everyone on the Board enjoyed the visit to Florida Tech,” remarked Board Chair Robert Grillo of FIU. “Dr. Carvalho and his team arranged for us to have a very productive meeting. The campus tours, including the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovative Design and the Florida Tech Flight Line, highlighted the important role they play in their community.”

Recent board meetings have been held at the University of Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University. In the coming year, in-person meetings are planned to be held at the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida.

above: Members of the FLR Board and staff  hear from Elaine Larson about Larsen Motorsports' unique partnership with Florida Tech.

above: Florida Tech's Dr. Marco Carvalho welcomes members of the Florida LambdaRail Board of Directors to their meeting at the Florida Tech Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovative Design.

above: A Florida Tech engineering student explains elements of a solar-powered aircraft experiment at the Panther Works Engineering Lab.

The grant from the National Science Foundation seeks to empower amputees to maximize their individual potential for controlling the full dexterity of artificial hands.  The project involves a novel bimodal skin sensor that combines machine learning motor intention classification algorithms and reinforcement learning.

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The Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation has provided $100 million — the largest gift from an individual donor in university history — to elevate the stature of UF Scripps as one of the world’s leading forces in biomedical research and to advance the leading-edge work of faculty at the campus in Jupiter, Florida.

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Led by geosciences Professor Jennifer Collins, the team is advancing hurricane evacuation research.

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Update 09/30/2022:

Thank you to all who reached out with words of support and encouragement during the worst of Hurricane Ian. We are able to report that all FLR staff and the FLR network have come through well and services, with only a few minor hiccups, are up and running for our members.

Please keep those impacted by this terrible storm in your thoughts. While the FLR network will play an important role in helping our communities recover, the immediate concern is for the health and safety of those affected.

You can help right now by making a donation via the American Red Cross at https://redcross.org/donate/donation.html/ or to the reputable charity of your choice that is working in the area.

_________________

Original Statement:

State and National leaders have declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian which is expected to impact the Florida peninsula beginning as early as Wednesday morning, September 28.

FLR is monitoring this system and is prepared to handle the impacts with engineers on call throughout the storm.  As always, members and affiliates needing assistance are encouraged to contact the FLR Network Operations Center (https://noc.flrnet.org/) with any issue that comes up.

Preparation Resources Ahead of the Storm:

National Hurricane Center: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Florida Division of Emergency Management: http://floridadisaster.org

Road Conditions: https://www.fl511.com/

Traffic Incidents: https://www.flhsmv.gov/florida-highway-patrol/traffic-incidents/

Post Storm Resources:

Federal Emergency Management Agency: www.fema.gov

American Red Cross: www.redcross.org

Keeping your connections secure and operational remains our top institutional priority, but we want to stress that keeping yourself and your family safe is always the most important thing.  If you are anywhere along the West Coast of Florida, now is the time to make storm preparations.

Stay Safe!

- The FLR Team

A supercomputer housed at the University of Florida is being used by researchers at multiple state universities to address some of Florida’s most-pressing agricultural and environmental problems.

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Florida has five public institutions ranked in the Top 100, the fifth-most in the country.

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The National Science Foundation grant will aid a USF-led interdisciplinary team of researchers as they develop a standardized approach to protecting those critical ecosystems.

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