Empowering Discovery: Enhancing Connectivity Across OSU’s Educational and Research Centers
Story by Kallyn Zaner
Over the last 12 months, the team has made remarkable progress in expanding and strengthening the fiber connectivity across OSU campuses and research facilities. These efforts have played a vital role in advancing the University’s core missions of research, teaching, and extension by ensuring that reliable, high-speed internet and network services are accessible wherever they’re needed most.
One of the most impactful achievements of the year was the extension of OSU's fiber network to the Peavy Arboretum. This expansion now provides full OSU network functionality to researchers at the Arboretum that have never been available on site before. These capabilities include voice-over-IP phones, wireless connectivity, and high-speed Internet. This connectivity is a critical leap forward for the College of Forestry, directly supporting ongoing research initiatives and enabling real-time data access and collaboration for faculty, staff, and students working in the field. These connections allow Peavy Arboretum to advance research while engaging with 155,000 visitors.
Another major advancement made by establishing redundant fiber infrastructure is the new connection between the OSU Cascades Campus in Bend to the OneDivide data center across town. The addition of this secondary route provides uninterrupted network service by utilizing automatic failover capability, protecting the campus from potential disruptions to the primary internet connection. To further strengthen the resilience of OSU’s digital infrastructure, a similar redundancy project was completed on Research Way in Corvallis, creating a geographically distinct fiber path between the main Corvallis campus and the OSU Research Way Building.
The Little Kit Childcare facility has been in progress over the past two years, located at the corner of Chandler Ave and Mt Washington Drive of the OSU Cascades campus. This being the first building to be located at that end of campus facilities, the significance ensuring the building receives the same OSU network access, capabilities, and full functioning platforms as the rest of the campus, is a crucial element in the overall success of the implementation. Third-party provider partnership to extend fiber connectivity to Little Kits, has provided essential access to standard network services. This connection has ensured that caregivers, staff, and administrative systems at the center are fully integrated and aligned with OSU’s digital environment.
Other critical infrastructure projects this year included the installation of a backup generator at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC), which now allows for continuous operation of the critical technology services during power outages. Additionally, fiber was extended from the HMSC to the new PacWave facility near Seal Rock, a coastal community close to Newport, OR. PacWave, based through OSU, is an offshore wave energy testing center, utilized to aid the marine energy industry with new ideas and technological developments. This extension allowed for support regarding groundbreaking development in marine and energy science.
These efforts play a vital role in the robust network infrastructure to increase empowerment of OSU’s community. With this reliable connectivity, everything from research data storage and grant proposals to digital classrooms and remote fieldwork can thrive and flourish. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Cable Plant and Network teams, OSU continues to build a stronger, more connected future for all who learn, teach, and discover here.