Internet 2 Update

Internet 2 has gained a lot of momentum since the project was formalized on Oct. 1, 1996. At that time, 34 research universities had pledged to participate in the development of new network infrastructure to support high-end research needs.

The number of Internet 2 participants now has grown to 100, and the project has become a key element of the Clinton administration's Next Generation Internet Initiative, mentioned in Clinton's State of the Union address.

UC Davis is playing a prominent role in the development of Internet 2. Carole A. Barone, Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology, is a member of the National Telecommunications Task Force (NTTF), the driving force behind Internet 2. And, as a member of the Engineering subcommittee, Russ Hobby, director of I.T.'s Advanced Networked and Scientific Applications (ANSA), is one of 10 Internet 2 architects.

Hobby also participates in the project on a regional level as technical director for the Consortium for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC). All nine UC campuses have joined the CSU system, Stanford, USC, and Cal Tech to form CENIC, which is devoted to building a California-wide, Internet 2-compatible network. California is one of several states that has formed a regional consortium to facilitate local implementation of Internet 2.

The first general meeting of the Internet 2 project was held in San Francisco in January. The next general meeting of Internet 2 participants is scheduled for September in Washington D.C. Subcommittees meet more frequently.

For more information, visit http://www.internet2.edu/.