GameRail recently installed backbone routers from Foundry Networks to build out its network for bypassing the Internet.

Why would you want to bypass the Internet? If you are a serious online gamer. GameRail claims its network's low number of hops and low congestion yields lower latency, less jitter and minimal packet loss. Its customers see average latency reduced 30% and local latency reduced by 75% vs. players using the public Internet.

The idea of bypassing the Internet for specialized applications is an interesting one. But if you really care about your applications, the idea certainly makes sense, as the Internet isn't exactly set up for speed and can be inconsistent. More people are becoming serious about online gaming, as the market for online gaming is expected to grow to $13 billion by 2012, according to DFC Intelligence.

St. Louis-based GameRail installed Foundry's NetIron XMR 4000 multi-service backbone routers. The routers have MPLS features that Foundry says give the GameRail network simplified packet forwarding traffic engineering, scalability, QoS and Differentiated Services. Each router can scale up to 3.2 terabits per second and 2 billion packets per second of routing.

GameRail also has established partnerships with top providers of cable and DSL broadband services, including AT&T, Bell Canada, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Earthlink and XO Communications. Currently, GameRail serves Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis and Seattle. The company plans to expand services to 17 more cities in its next phase.

Jeff Caruso is site editor at Network World.