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Not-for-Profit started in 2012 to help connect the City of Aurora

fiber optic network and its community anchor institutions,

enabling and fostering high speed, highly available bandwidth connections

Within the state’s 2nd largest city, Aurora’s fiber optic network is a highly available, redundant, self healing series of network rings totaling 50 miles. It is a mix of DWDM/CWDM, 1 & 10 Gigabit network and will add over 15 miles of new core fiber and laterals in 2013. OnLight Aurora is adding community anchor institutions to this network:

• Schools• Medical Centers• Social Service Agencies• Arts & Entertainment• Business, both existing & economic development

OnLight Aurora will also complete connections to multiple sources of Internet bandwidth and connect to surrounding networks in 2013. A data center is currently on the Metro Ethernet network with more to come soon. 2013 will also see the addition of:

• Tower services connected to the fiber• Cellular backhaul capabilities• Cisco TelePresence availability• Point-to-point wireless capabilities at 1 Gig• Additional core infrastructure expansion• Full business park connectivity capability

The 3 year plan for OnLight Aurora is to expand the City of Aurora network, including both core and laterals, to over 100 miles of fiber within the city and begin expansion in the four county area covered by Aurora:

• Kane• DuPage• Will• Kendall

OnLight Aurora is currently working withother networks and communities to planthis expansion, making high speed broadband and Metro Ethernet available to a wider network.

• OnLight Aurora offers access to this network to any carrier• Network has proven highly resilient over years of

operation• Core network is underground with substantial capacity• All City of Aurora municipal government, public safety,

some county government and other municipal entities also currently use the network• The system has been designed to enable substantial

physical and technological growth• OnLight Aurora formed to enable access

and foster broad connectivity tobenefit the wider community

• OnLight Aurora and the City of Aurorareceived Illinois Gigabit ChallengeGrant in late 2012 of $1 Million toconnect these community anchors

Municipal fiber networks are an important tool for municipal government but a more valuable tool when properly employed for

the overall benefit of the community it serves. Aurora’s Mayor Tom Weisner is a

strong proponent of the fiber network and fought for its initial establishment. Today, that support continues as OnLight Aurora

makes these valuable connections to enable the community to continue its strong growth

Ted BeckCTO, City of Aurora