| |
Letter to Vendors & Telecommunications Providers
Re: Opportunities with the SURA RII
To: Vendors capable of providing advanced telecommunications facilities and services
Re: Potential Fiber/Telecom Alliance
GEO/Matrix Consulting LLC, is a consultant for the Southeastern Universities Research Association ("SURA"), a consortium of 53 colleges and universities in 15 southeastern states and the District of Columbia stretching from Delaware in the north, to Florida in the south, to Texas in the west. In November 2000, a press release announced this consulting arrangement, which is now in its second Phase (Phase II) of a five Phase implementation program.
Phase II pursues SURA's interest in enhancing its current and future telecommunications infrastructure solutions by exploring business alliances, partnerships or joint ventures with telecommunications service providers, utilities and other similar network infrastructure builders, providers and users, that will provide all participants with better network capabilities, long-term cost savings and revenue enhancing opportunities. Examples of such opportunities may be the joint development of specific point-to-point fiber optic routes to major, secondary and third tier cities within the SURA region, connecting fiber optic facilities to carrier hotels, IXC POPs and local telephone company central offices and wire centers. SURA welcomes innovative approaches to the fulfillment of its needs through the use of flexible business models that potentially share capital costs, contribute revenue streams, uses available infrastructures, maximizes rights of way, eases the permit and regulatory process and, in other unique ways, improves construction and operational capabilities depending on the alliance partners' expertise, interest and business plans.
We seek vendors and telecommunications providers who might be interested in dialogue with GEO/Matrix to further these win-win objectives that might lead to a partnership opportunity with SURA and some or all of its members. The desired end result of the SURA Initiative is a network that might take the form of dark fibers or dedicated wavelength and infrastructure in all portions of the SURA region. SURA reserves the right to conduct appropriate due diligence evaluations of potential partners, including thorough analysis of business plans and financial viability.
SURA, a non-stock, non-profit corporation, functions as an avenue for its members to cooperate with one another and with government in the acquisition, development and use of laboratories and other research facilities to foster knowledge and the application of that knowledge in the physical, biological and other natural sciences and in engineering. SURA has a long history of innovation and leadership in advanced academic networking and is an active participant in national advanced academic networking initiatives including Internet2, The Quilt, and the Net@Edu Bandwidth Pricing Forum. As a result, an impressive list of member institutions collectively seek greater abilities to enter into advanced networking collaborations with each other and, at the same time, wish to maximize their use of regional telecommunications, internet and networking services to meet bandwidth needs of today and the explosive bandwidth needs of tomorrow. To this end, GEO/Matrix has been retained to represent SURA in helping them find partners who offer economical, innovative and practical ways to interconnect the various members, while, at the same time, providing these partners with the many rewards and benefits that will be available to those who align themselves with SURA.
We believe that a potential network partner's business and infrastructure plans are significantly enhanced with an alignment with SURA in the building, overbuilding and
deployment of various network services that address and expand upon the telecommunications capacity needs of SURA members throughout its region.
To visualize the scope of this program, the following maps of SURA region and its member and selected non-member locations are available:
A conceptual network plan is provided to illustrate the magnitude of anticipated connectivity amongst the institutions. The map only showing the location of the institutions and the roadway network is provided as a working document so that you can sketch potential new or dark fiber routes. Three regional maps are provided as larger scale working drawings.
If you wish to discuss this exciting initiative and the potential opportunities in greater detail, contact SURA's Director of IT Initiatives, Gary Crane, gcrane@sura.org, (315) 597-1459. Or you may wish to contact Geo at the telephone number listed below. We look forward to talking with you and thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Joseph R. Golden, P.E.
Geo/Matrix Project Director
(973) 503-1400
This Web site maintained by SURA
|
