Internet2 selects backbone provider for its new network

Internet2 Thursday named Level 3 as its new network provider that will build its future backbone to support 10 times more capacity than the current network.

At Internet2’s spring meeting in May, members talked about the goals of its new network and what it might look like, which includes supporting 10 10Gbps Lambdas.

The network will initially support 100Gbps connections to Internet2 members. Level 3 is designing the network so bandwidth upgrades will be seamless for future needs.

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Internet2 Thursday named Level 3 as its new network provider that will build its future backbone to support 10 times more capacity than the current network.

At Internet2’s spring meeting in May, members talked about the goals of its new network and what it might look like, which includes supporting 10 10Gbps Lambdas.

The network will initially support 100Gbps connections to Internet2 members. Level 3 is designing the network so bandwidth upgrades will be seamless for future needs.

In April, Internet2 announced that it would not renew its contract with Qwest, the primary network carrier for its Abilene network, which is being phased out. Level 3 is Internet2’s network provider of the future.

The new network will support production and on-demand IP services, dedicated optical wavelength services, collocation services, metro and long-haul dark fiber.

Internet2 says it signed a “multi-year agreement” with Level3, but did not disclose the financial details of the deal.

The new network infrastructure is expected to allow Internet2 researchers to support more complex experiments, such as allowing astronomers to link to distant telescopes to get real-time and more accurate data analysis, according to the company’s press release.

Internet2 says it expects its new backbone to be operation in 2007 and will work closely with Level 3 going forward. Level 3 is expected to offer optical circuit services to Internet2 members in the interim using the carrier’s existing network services.