Lonestar Education and Research Network

What Lonestar Education and Research Network does

LEARN (Lonestar Education and Research Network) is a Texas-based consortium that operates a statewide high-performance optical fiber network dedicated to serving research institutions, health science centers, and educational organizations. Founded in 2004 and enabled by the Texas Legislature via SB1771 (Legislative Session 78, House Bill 7), the organization owns and operates more than 3,200 miles of optical fiber and 37 strategically located Points of Presence equipped with LEARN-owned high-performance routers, spanning the state from Beaumont to El Paso and Lubbock to Brownsville. It connects over 300 direct and affiliate member institutions and provides a 24/7 Network Operations Center based in Lubbock with traffic analysis and performance monitoring tools.

The organization's product set centers on network connectivity and affiliated network access (including Internet2 Cloud Access Point service), supplemented by a consortium pricing program that enables group purchasing for member institutions, and active participation in NSF-funded research infrastructure programs (TRECIS, BRICCS, LEAPS, and CC). LEARN's technology is built on scalable state-of-the-art optical fiber infrastructure; there are no AI/ML product capabilities disclosed in the available data.

LEARN operates as a non-profit, member-owned consortium with no publicly traded status. Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership dues and consortium pricing arrangements, augmented by NSF grant funding. The organization is headquartered in McKinney, Texas, employs between 11 and 50 people, and is led by CEO Kerry Mobley (appointed April 2024) and CTO Ken Miller (appointed 2026).

Name

Lonestar Education and Research Network

Legal name

LEARN: Lonestar Education and Research Network

Website

https://tx-learn.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LEARN is a Texas-based non-profit consortium operating a 3,200-mile optical fiber network and 37 POPs that connects 300+ research institutions, health science centers, and educational organizations across the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research and Education Network Services

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators (HDAIACAG)

Keywords

• Research and education networking
• Optical fiber backbone
• Network operations center
• Consortium membership services
• High-performance internet

Headquarters

HQ city

Mckinney

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Consortium Pricing: LEARN operates as a member-owned consortium providing networking services to affiliated institutions. Revenue is generated through membership dues and consortium pricing arrangements with member organizations including research institutions, health science centers, and educational institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

LEARN operates a member-owned consortium providing high-performance optical fiber network connectivity to Texas research institutions, health science centers, and educational organizations. Its offerings span a 3,200+ mile owned fiber backbone with 37 strategically located Points of Presence, a 24/7 Network Operations Center, affiliated network connectivity, Internet2 Cloud Access Point access, and consortium group purchasing programs for members.

Product overview

LEARN operates as a network services provider offering a unified platform of connectivity solutions for research and education institutions across Texas. The core offering includes high-performance optical fiber network services spanning over 3,200 miles, connecting over 300 member organizations through 37 strategically located Points of Presence (POPs). The portfolio includes affiliated network connectivity, Internet2 CAP access, consortium pricing programs, and a 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC) with monitoring tools like LEARN Peakflow and RRD Graphs. LEARN also participates in NSF research infrastructure grant programs including TRECIS, BRICCS, LEAPS, and CC awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Network Services

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NokiacoreTechnology or Integration · 23 October 2024LEARN selected Nokia to deploy new high-capacity network infrastructure to foster research and education in Texas. This partnership enables advanced optical fiber network capabilities for LEARN member institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AT&T: Large commercial telecom with extensive fiber footprint serving enterprise, government, and education customers in Texas. Relevant as a broad incumbent alternative for high-capacity connectivity that competes for some of the same institutional buyers LEARN serves.

Direct peers

• Internet2: National U.S. research and education network serving universities and research institutions with high-capacity backbone services. Direct peer to LEARN as both operate dedicated R&E networks for member institutions, with Internet2 functioning as the national backbone that LEARN members interconnect to.
• NYSERNet: New York State Education and Research Network, a nonprofit providing advanced networking to universities, healthcare, and research organizations. Direct peer with comparable consortium membership model and research-focused connectivity mission.
• Florida LambdaRail: Florida's research and education optical network connecting universities and research institutions with high-bandwidth services. Direct peer in operating a state-level R&E fiber backbone for member institutions.
• MCNC: North Carolina's nonprofit operator of the NCREN research and education network, providing broadband to schools, universities, and research institutions. Direct peer in operating a state-level R&E fiber consortium.
• Merit Network: Michigan-based nonprofit R&E network providing high-performance connectivity to universities, K-12 schools, libraries, and government. Direct peer in operating a statewide member-driven fiber consortium under a nonprofit governance structure.
• Pacific Northwest Gigapop (PNWGP): Regional R&E network serving Oregon, Washington, and Idaho research and education institutions with high-capacity connectivity. Direct peer in operating a member-driven research backbone.
• CENIC (Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California): California's nonprofit R&E network operating high-speed fiber infrastructure connecting research and education institutions. Closely comparable state-scale consortium model serving a similar institutional mix of universities and health systems.
• OARnet: Ohio's academic research network providing high-bandwidth fiber connectivity to universities, K-12, state government, and healthcare. Direct peer as a state-level nonprofit R&E network serving similar institutional members.

Regional players

• GÉANT: Europe's pan-continental research and education networking organization. Comparable in mission and consortium governance to LEARN, but operates across Europe rather than within Texas, making it a regional/territory analog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tx_learn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tx-learn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lonestar Education and Research Network