HERNDON, VA – March 1, 2010 – XO Communications (OTCBB: XOHO) today announced that it is partnering with the Memphis Coalition for Advanced Networking (MCAN) to provide a dark fiber ring to enable 10 Gigabit (Gbps) services across the interconnected MCAN network.
MCAN is a unique collaboration of Memphis-based universities and hospitals, including the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the University of Memphis, the Memphis Bioworks Foundation and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Through an interconnected networking strategy, these organizations will be able to share content and information in a revolutionary, cost effective and collaborative way.
Russell Ingram, president of MCAN, says the organization will strengthen the Memphis research community’s contribution to future economic development in Tennessee. “In less than ten years, first-generation broadband has profoundly changed our lives and the U.S. economy,” Ingram said. “We can be certain that tomorrow’s technological breakthroughs will be developed at the intersection of research, education, and industry. MCAN will ensure that Memphis and the State of Tennessee compete on the leading edge of computing technology, enabling major innovations in the biosciences and other strategic sectors.”
XO Communications’ dark fiber ring will enable 10 Gbps services for the coalition utilizing the 495-route mile XO metro network across the metropolitan Memphis area. “XO Communications was the provider of choice for MCAN. XO understood the transformative nature of our project and made every effort to support this community initiative,” said Ingram. The extensive reach and proven capability of the XO fiber network enables the company to scale bandwidth to meet customer demand, quickly respond and address network issues and provide flexible pricing options for customers.
“Having worked with dozens of universities and consortiums across the United States, XO Communications is uniquely positioned to help MCAN achieve its ultimate goal of creating an integrated, high-capacity network for Memphis’ leading academic and research institutions,” said Michael Toplisek, chief marketing officer for XO Business Services at XO Communications. “Through this program, MCAN is changing the way researchers, academics, students and healthcare professionals access information, and we’re proud to partner with them on this exciting endeavor.”
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development granted MCAN more than $2.3 million to fund the project in late 2009. In addition to XO Communications, MCAN has also enlisted CISCO/Pomeroy to provide an extensive suite of networking products. MCAN expects the network to be fully functional by spring 2010 and plans to bring the collaborative networking concept to neighboring states, thereby broadening the scope of the network to include key universities and healthcare institutions in Arkansas, Kentucky and Mississippi.
About Memphis Coalition for Advanced Networking
The Memphis Coalition for Advanced Networking (MCAN) was founded in 2009 by a consortium of visionary public and private Memphis area research institutions as a Tennessee not-for-profit corporation. MCAN’s mission is to provide next generation broadband communications technologies to advance education, research, public service and economic development in the West Tennessee and mid-south region. MCAN maintains very high speed communication connections with other network initiatives in Tennessee and with regional partners in the mid-south to create a statewide high speed education and research backbone with regional connections. MCAN connects the Memphis and mid-south region with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and with other national and international research and scientific networks, providing Memphis and the mid-south with a significant competitive advantage in research leading to technology transfer and economic development. Founding members include The University of Memphis, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and The Memphis Bio Works Foundation.
About XO Communications
XO Communications, a subsidiary of XO Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: XOHO), is a leading nationwide provider of advanced communications services and solutions for businesses, enterprises, government, carriers and service providers. Its customers include more than half of the Fortune 500, in addition to leading cable companies, carriers, content providers and mobile network operators. Utilizing its unique combination of high-capacity nationwide and metro networks and broadband wireless capabilities, XO offers customers a broad range of managed voice, data and IP services with proven performance, scalability and value in more than 75 metropolitan markets across the United States. For more information, visit www.xo.com.
Media Contacts
Chad Couser
XO Communications
703-547-2746
chad.couser@xo.com
Courtney Harper
Reputation Partners (for XO Communications)
312-819-5722
Courtney@reputationpartners.com
PR Archives: Latest, By Company, By Date