ORION

ORION is Ontario’s only provincial research and education network. Covering 6,000 kilometres with over 30 points of presence (PoPs), our private network connects regions and over a hundred institutions all over the province, including universities, colleges, hospitals, and research institutions, as well as many of Ontario’s school boards. 1.7 million people in the research and education industry rely on ORION to share and communicate with each other and to connect to a global grid of similar networks across Canada and around the world.

Our long history of providing advanced network solutions has given us the expertise we need to fulfil the digital requirements of Ontario’s research and education community.

We also provide shared access to advanced technology that lowers institutional purchasing costs and reduces duplication of services.

History

ORION was originally created with the support of the Ontario government. ORION is a self-sustaining, not-for-profit organization kicked off by the Ontario government under Premier Harris. We were founded in 2001 (known then as The Optical Regional Advanced Network of Ontario, or ORANO), and our first connection—between Toronto and Sudbury—was completed and tested in 2003. Following that initial success, ORION and the Ontario government invested $32.4 million. Since then, we’ve been a self-sustaining, not-for-profit organization.

Focus

At ORION, supporting our community comes first. As a not-for-profit organization, we’re focused on outcomes, re-investing in the network, and the success of our community, not corporate shareholders. Whether it’s ground-breaking researchers sharing huge amounts of data or students in a classroom using technology to learn, it’s all about Ontario’s progress and economic development.