Current Status of SC LightRail
The three research universities engaged in extensive planning and due diligence for over two years, including site visits to similar research networking operations in Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida.

After a competitive bid process that selected SCANA Communications as SCLR’s primary private implementation partner, SCLR infrastructure development began in summer, 2008.

The three research universities have been transmitting test data for several months, and production data (commodity and research) is moving successfully across several segments of the network. The network has been designed to provide next-generation production services as well as a platform for development of new networking ideas and protocols.

Clemson University is providing NOC (Network Operations Center) services. The SCLR website will go live on or about March 15, 2009. SCLR members each have Acceptable Use Policies in place for their current network resources and these policies shall be extended to include use of the SCLR backbone.

The SC LightRail Board of Directors was formed with two representatives from each of the three founding institutions. As one of its first actions, the Board hired a SC LightRail director, Dr. Roger Poston of MUSC, in January, 2009.

Dr. Poston will coordinate technical development and support across member institutions. More important, he will engage in extensive outreach to faculty and other researchers across South Carolina and beyond to ensure full institutional access and use of LightRail by target populations. In concert with the Board, he will develop both yearly operational and long-term strategic budgets. He will also will begin to build relationships with other medical, research, and higher education institutions in South Carolina who may wish to be affiliated with SC LightRail.