Charlotte, N.C., thanks in part to a new fiber network ring, is hoping to replicate some of the success Research Triangle Park has had in providing a home to successful IT businesses.

The Charlotte Ring is an extension of the N.C. Research and Education Network (NCREN) and has been designed with support from UNC Charlotte, UNC General Administration and Duke Power’s DukeNet subsidiary. NCREN provides high-speed network services to the state’s public universities and many other higher-education institutions in the state, and links to Internet2 and the National LambdaRail.

The Charlotte Ring boosts connectivity for UNC Charlotte, which can now enjoy connections of up to 10Gbps, and will bring a research campus being rolled out by a host of schools in Kannapolis, N.C., into the mix.

“In today’s world, high-speed network access can be the foundation for a region’s economic growth,” says Charles Price, director of research computing at UNC Charlotte, in a statement.