The Internet is plagued by spam, viruses, denial-of-service attacks, and other problems that can cripple vital Web servers worldwide. It also has to cope with the growing demand for URLs to accommodate all kinds of new devices. All of this has many people saying today’s all-purpose Internet is about to run out of gas.
This isn’t a new message, but with governments and companies alike considering possibilities for the Internet’s future, the conversation is getting a little more charged.
TIMELINE
1996
Internet2 launches; 34 universities commit to project
1998
2.5-Gbit/s Abilene Network is announced
1999
Abilene Network launches
2000
Health Sciences Initiative supports clinical networking apps
2001
K20 project extends Internet2 technologies to all educational levels
2002
OpenSAML federated identity framework released
2004
Abilene Network is upgraded to 10 Gbit/s
2005
InCommon Federation trust network launches
2006
Internet2 and other organizations work to protect Net neutrality
2007
100-Gbit/s backbone replaces Abilene Network
2008
Internet2 showcases supercollider research
One of the earliest initiatives to overhaul the Internet originated a dozen years ago, well before the age of malware. The Internet2 project was formed in 1996 when 34 university researchers met in a Chicago hotel to discuss ways to develop and implement a new Internet, which they called Internet2. The project has grown into a nonprofit consortium formally administered by the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development. That group provides a nationwide, high-performance, 100-Gbit/s network backbone to nearly 300 member organizations and more than 50,000 research and educational institutions, including colleges, high schools, museums, and libraries.
Beyond providing turbocharged network capacity, Internet2 and its members are developing, deploying, and using networking technologies that tap protocols like IPv6 to access an astronomical amount of new URL address space, as well as a host of middleware and security capabilities, such as federated authentication, and advanced applications like high-definition videoconferencing. Software such as Internet2 Detective lets users test their connections, gauge the bandwidth they need, and perform other functions (see diagram, below).
These technologies will provide a lot more than just a faster Web or speedier email – they’ll let people use networking in ways that aren’t possible via the existing global commercial Internet. Among the possibilities: digital libraries, virtual laboratories, distance and independent learning, and health applications.
Will there be various costs in the form of network fees for Internet 2? Will a cottage industry develop i.e. cost sharing of regional optical networks? If yes, are fiber optic manucaturers and fiber infrastructure companies a viable investment for the near time future?
On the educational front, will the Government subsidize network costs on state or federal level or both? My guess is that there are some substantial costs associated with Internet 2.
Internet2's security features also bode well for future applications. The concept of federated security appears to open up possibilities for cutting-edge apps that aren't economically viable for today's Internet.
That could be the next great big thing to actual experience of the real world. Hopefully alongside with the full development of these technologies are the implementation of their proper utilization to lessen if not eradicate the problems that many people experience or observe with regards to the present Internet (or any other technology for that matter). It may seem wishful thinking but if we really want to maximize the benefits of technology, we should exert more efforts to keep it from abuse and wrong usage.
It seems that the structure of internet2 would fulfill web 3.0 very nicely. A perkier experience with 3 dimensional aspects in a virtual atmosphere, as opposed to the 2 dimensional aspects of our flat screen monitors. Everyone hooked into a 3d virtual avatar world that one can go shopping with and using social networking seems like the logical next move.
I have been interested in experiencing Internet2, since my then university, Bowling Green State University decided to upgrade to it (that was 2000). I have since followed closely its development and I have even introduced the concept to my students when I thought Information Systems in the Middle East.
There seems to be an exclusivity to this technology however, as (as has been mentioned in the article) very few people know about it or have access to it. At this rate, when can the rest of the community benefit from the advantages that "new" Internet?
What will its development mean to the digital divide? A further leap frogging of advance d communities ahead of developing ones that haven't even begun to enjoy the efficiencies and the convenience that proper use of the Internet can offer.
I am hoping that Internet2 will help bridge the digital divide and not exarcebate it.
Ironically Internet2 works as well as it does because of the relatively small number of users. This means that even in educational institutions that have been a part of the effort from the beginning it is unknown to most students and faculty. So an article like your can provide a great service making people aware of a remarkable resource that exists somewhat hidden right under their noses!
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