Membership
Why Join OSHEAN
OSHEAN is a member-focused nonprofit and regional collaborative built around the missions of Community Anchor Institutions.
Why membership works
A cooperative technology backbone for Community Anchor Institutions.
OSHEAN brings critical infrastructure, member relationships, and practical IT expertise into one shared operating model.
Member-focused
A mission-first nonprofit model for institutions that serve the public good.
Carrier-class
Optical transport, IP networking, and trusted connections engineered for resilience.
Shared expertise
Security, cloud, and network guidance shaped by member needs.
Regional impact
Infrastructure that strengthens education, research, healthcare, and public service.
Membership fit
Built for Community Anchor Institutions
OSHEAN serves organizations whose technology supports education, research, healthcare, public service, and community impact across Rhode Island and the surrounding region.
Member advantages
What membership can provide
Explore the infrastructure, technology access, community, and support available through the OSHEAN membership model.
A private regional network
Access to 600+ miles of owned fiber optic backbone and 400+ optical-layer backbone transport nodes supporting member organizations across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.
Aggregated buying power
Members share the economics of a consortium through services and vendor relationships designed for public-serving organizations.
A full security portfolio
Managed firewalls, DDoS protection, MFA, DNS-layer protection, vulnerability detection, cyber exposure management, and GRC — proven on OSHEAN's own network first.
Internet2 & cloud exchange
Unmetered access to Internet2's research backbone and private transport to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle — exclusive to OSHEAN in Rhode Island.
A collaborative community
Peer-to-peer collaboration, professional education, member forums, and events that develop expertise across the membership.
24/7/365 support
Concise NOC support, OSHEAN engineering, and a member portal with ticket status, network and usage analytics, traffic breakdowns, and managed-device visibility where OSHEAN-managed devices are in scope.
Our community
Our Member Community
More than 160 member organizations use OSHEAN services.
Getting started
A clear path from fit to next step
The membership conversation begins with your mission and technology needs, then moves toward a concrete path forward.
What happens next
1
Confirm fit
We start with your organization type, location, mission, and whether OSHEAN membership is the right vehicle.
2
Map needs
Together we look at connectivity, security, cloud, support, and any timing or procurement constraints.
3
Shape a path
OSHEAN follows up with the right technical and membership contacts so the next step is concrete.
Membership questions
What prospective members ask first
Start with the essentials, then contact OSHEAN for organization-specific eligibility, service, and procurement questions.
What is OSHEAN?
OSHEAN, Inc. is Rhode Island's nonprofit research and education network and a member-focused technology partner for Community Anchor Institutions. More than 160 member organizations use OSHEAN services across education, healthcare, libraries, government, and community organizations.
Who can become an OSHEAN member?
Membership is open to Community Anchor Institutions — colleges and universities, K-12 schools and districts, libraries, healthcare organizations, state and local government agencies, and other non-profit organizations in Rhode Island and the surrounding region. Contact us to discuss membership for your organization.
What is a Research and Education Network (REN)?
A REN is a specialized network operator that serves the research, education, healthcare, and public-service communities of a state or region. As Rhode Island's REN, OSHEAN is the Regional Network Connector for Internet2 — the nationwide 400/800Gbps research and education backbone — and a founding member of the Northeast Regional Education Network (NEREN).
How is OSHEAN governed?
OSHEAN is a nonprofit governed by a Board of Directors drawn from member organizations. Meet the current board on our Team page.
How do I learn more or get a quote?
Reach out through our contact page, call (401) 398-7500, or email info@oshean.org — our Member Services team will follow up to discuss your organization's needs.
OSHEAN is Rhode Island's nonprofit research and education network and a shared technology partner for Community Anchor Institutions. We combine an operated regional fiber backbone, WAN capabilities, solution engineering, operational support, and member collaboration to help public-serving organizations connect, protect, and modernize.
Ready to join the OSHEAN community?
Let's talk about what membership can do for your organization and the communities you serve.