Jackson Free Press

Mississippi's research universities and other state research centers will be able to communicate much more efficiently, thanks to expanded broadband technology.

Gov. Haley Barbour announced an agreement with AT&T Wednesday that will provide the Mississippi Research Consortium with 20 times the broadband capacity that they have now. The Consortium is made up of four universities--Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi--and four other research centers--the Mississippi Department of Information Technology, the Stennis Space Center, the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

MissiON, or the Mississippi Research Network, will link the eight entities in what Barbour called a "research ring" and give them the capacity to move more data quickly.

Felix Okojie, chairman of the Mississippi Research Consortium, said having more broadband capacity will give institutions an advantage in competing for grant money, and he anticipates a significant return on Mississippi's investment.

"We envision the research enterprise growing significantly as a result of this capacity," he said.

Mississippi will rent the fiber optic technology to provide the service from AT&T for eight years at a cost of $16 million. Barbour said renting the equipment instead of purchasing it makes it easier for the state to update the technology, if necessary, at the end of eight years.

The network should be completed by the end of the year.