Spratt Helps Secure $1.4 million for Statewide Fiber Optic Network

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) helped secure $1.4 million to develop the Clemson University Cyberinstitute (CUCI), which will deploy a state-of-the-art fiber optic network for the state. The money was included in the omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2009.

“There is an urgent need in South Carolina for a fiber optic network,” said Spratt. “South Carolina missed the early cyberinstitute (CI) wave of the late 1990’s. This project will allow us to catch up and even surpass other leading CI centers in the country.”

Spratt said the key to CI integration is the Clemson University Lambda Rail (CULR) Portal, a single-point access conduit to the National Lambda Rail (NLR) and other national super-high-speed fiber optical research networks. CULR provides network connectivity and operations center services for a potential statewide fiber optic network, which would support research, health sciences, and instruction. The funds will also be used to extend the foundational CULR fiber optic network portal beyond Upstate South Carolina to Columbia, Charleston, and other areas that have research and education centers, thereby forming the optical fiber backbone of a statewide Lambda Rail. The project is expected to bring new technology jobs to the state.