ORION, Ontario’s research, education, and innovation network, announced today the re-location of its Ottawa network point of presence (PoP) to the University of Ottawa. The move will improve network resilience to better support researchers, professors, students, and innovators in the Ottawa region. As a node in Canada’s National Research and Education Network (NREN), this PoP relocation was undertaken in partnership with federal partner CANARIE and the research and education network in Quebec, Réseau d'informations scientifiques du Québec (RISQ).
ORION’s network constituents will now be served by the university’s tier-2 data centre, improving infrastructure reliability and service management in the region. The University of Ottawa relocation project was completed in phases to minimize disruption and improve latency for universities, colleges, innovation centres, centres of excellence and research institutions in the region.
The new PoP at the University of Ottawa will house critical infrastructure from ORION, CANARIE and RISQ, enabling ultra-high-speed connectivity across the Toronto-Kingston-Ottawa-Montreal corridor, enabling research projects such as through the ENCQOR 5G (Evolution of Network Services Through a Corridor in Quebec and Ontario for Research and Innovation) program, ensuring the enhanced stability of services that are essential, particularly during a global pandemic.
5G will be critical to delivering a whole new generation of products and services to the marketplace, including connected and autonomous vehicles, remote healthcare, virtual solutions, smart cities, and new Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
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Martin Bernier, Chief Information Officer at the University of Ottawa: “This initiative increases the University’s capacity to connect and collaborate. We will be directly connected via ORION and the National Research and Education Network to over a hundred institutions across the province and to similar networks across Canada and globally. It is a partnership benefitting the greater community while improving critical research digital infrastructure performance. Through increased connections, we strengthen uOttawa’s critical research capacity and benefit from collaborations that deliver opportunities to delve into new research frontiers.”
Mark Wolff, Chief Technology Officer, CANARIE: “The efforts of the University of Ottawa, ORION and CANARIE teams to relocate the PoP are a testament to the collaborative spirit of Canada’s NREN and the organizations we connect. The move strengthens the resiliency of critical, ultra high-speed connectivity for Canada’s researchers, students, and educators.”
David Smith, Chief Technology Officer at ORION: “This is a great example of collaboration. We’re pleased to work with the University of Ottawa as well as our national research and education partners to improve network performance for our connected institutions. The pandemic has made it clear that we are becoming even more reliant on robust digital infrastructure. This enhanced facility will serve the unique connectivity needs for the region’s innovation sector on our way to recovery.”
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