OUR Mission
“LAUREN and its members connect the Americas through technology, opening access to the research, education, and opportunities that help people and institutions thrive.”
When researchers and educators across borders can reach each other easily, discovery accelerates. LAUREN exists to remove the barriers—technical, geographic, and logistical—that slow that process down. North and South America share proximity, history, and enormous potential for scientific partnership. By expanding access to high-performance networks, LAUREN makes it possible for institutions throughout the hemisphere to participate fully in the global research community, regardless of where they are located or the resources they have at hand.
membership + CONNECTIONS
Access to world-class research and education networks shouldn’t depend on geography. LAUREN members are committed to changing that.
Membership is open to any research- or education-oriented organization. Annual dues are $20,000 U.S.
Network access to existing projects such as the National LambdaRail, ESNet, NREN, FLR, CalRen, and Abilene in the U.S., and GEANT, ANSP, SingAREN, AARNet, and APAN worldwide. Peering is dependant upon mutually agreed-upon terms.
Connections to peers ranging from Layer 2 Ethernet 10/100 Mbps or SONET/SDH rates from 155 Mbps to 10 Gbps are available.
Joining LAUREN means committing to a network built on open access—where institutions across the Americas can connect, collaborate, and contribute on equal terms.
Members may apply to become connectors, or “asset stewards”—taking on responsibility for the initial setup and ongoing management of their node. Connectors handle all physical and business arrangements for participants in their country who connect through them. In practice, stewards serve as the operational owners of the network asset for the duration of their LAUREN membership.
ABOUT LAUREN
LAUREN builds and sustains the network infrastructure that gives researchers, educators, and students across the Americas access to the connections they need. By sourcing and delivering equipment, spectrum, bandwidth, peering, and ongoing support, LAUREN makes it practical for institutions throughout the hemisphere to participate in high-performance research and education networks—many for the first time. Over fifteen years, that work has extended meaningful connectivity to more than 300 million people. LAUREN works alongside national and regional organizations, supporting their goals and filling the gaps that would otherwise leave institutions isolated.
For more than fifteen years, LAUREN has invested steadily in the network infrastructure that makes access possible. From enabling cross-border research partnerships to bringing reliable, high-capacity connectivity to institutions that previously had none, LAUREN has helped level the playing field for universities, research centers, and education networks across North and South America.
LAUREN is proud to have contributed to the success of the following organizations that have leveraged LAUREN for their network creations and operations:
The AmLight-ExP Consortium, ANSP, RNP, AURA, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, CIARA, University of the West Indies, Red CLARA, CNTI Venezuela, Guatemala-RAGIE, El Salvador and Senacyt Panama.
GOVERNANCE
LAUREN is governed by a board drawn from member research and education networks. Operations are kept lean by design, supported by the generous contributions of donors and volunteers who share a commitment to keeping access affordable and overhead low.
Get involved.
Donate to extend connectivity to more institutions across the Americas, or volunteer your expertise in engineering, provisioning, or network operations. (service@laurenfound.org)
Every contribution to the LAUREN Foundation directly expands access to research and education networks for communities throughout North and South America.
Contact Us
MI1 Miami Data Center - NAP of The Americas IBX
50 NE 9th Street (Main Entrance)
50 NE 8th Street (For Shipments)
Miami, FL 33132
LAUREN FOUNDATION
334 Carondelet # 302
New Orleans LA 70112
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