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Internet2 has gone nationwide.

At its annual fall member meeting this month, the nonprofit advanced network consortium announced that it had completed its new nationwide network infrastructure, which has an initial capacity of 100Gbps and bandwidth-on-demand capabilities.

One key part of Internet2's new infrastructure is its Dynamic Circuit Network (DCN), which will allow researchers to appropriate as much as 10Gbps of dedicated bandwidth on demand. According to Internet2, the DCN features 10 10Gbps links that are provisioned on each network segment, and can be scaled up to 100Gbps, depending on network demands.

"We believe we are supporting the development of network capabilities that will help support a ubiquitous infrastructure," says Rich Summerhil, Internet2's chief technologist. "Just like you switch on a light or turn on a water tap, we envision a future where researchers, scientists, faculty and artists will be able to turn on a high-capacity network connection when and where they need it."

The new network, says Internet2, will be ideal for high-bandwidth applications such as telemedicine and network research. Additionally, the consortium says it will continue to provide an advanced IP network that supports next-generation Internet protocols and distribution techniques, including IPv6 and IP multicast.

Internet2, which is deployed by over 200 universities and over 46,000 schools, libraries and museums, is used to deliver high-speed data transfer for researchers and educators.