Arkansas Research Educational Optical Network – Regional CyberInfrastructure Plan - 2021

The Arkansas Research Educational Optical Network (ARE-ON) is a regional education network (REN) that connects its member institutions to the internet, Internet2, commercial cloud providers, and other research and educational networks. The mission of ARE-ON is to promote, develop, and apply advanced application and communication technologies to support and enhance education, research, public service, and economic development.

ARE-ON provides a resilient high-speed fiber-optic backbone network throughout the state of Arkansas and reaching into four neighboring states. The network consists of approximately 2,200 miles of long-haul fiber optic cable and about 85 miles of metro fiber. ARE-ON's extensive reach allows institutions to connect, collaborate, and innovate within the organization's core agendas of education, telemedicine, research, and emergency preparedness. ARE-ON serves eleven public universities, twenty-two two-year colleges, two hospitals, and the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture.