Internet2 and Next Generation Internet: Speed and Research

Introduction

The Internet was developed during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a network of computers capable of sustaining global communication. Originally intended as an educational and governmental tool, it has since reached a global commercial user base. The original Internet has proven a successful means of disseminating and communicating information to more than a billion users, thanks to continuous technological advances.

A new wave, however, has occurred in Internet technology. Educators and researchers are currently investigating and implementing new technology referred to as Internet2. This new communication network was built to help ease the congestion that researchers, government agents, and educators face when attempting to access the Internet. The information superhighway has, in fact, become jam-packed — much like an interstate during rush hour. Scientists, educators, and government officials have invested in a program that will hopefully result in a more technologically advanced superhighway allowing instantaneous communication at 100 to 1,000 times the speed of the original Internet. Researchers have already begun utilizing the new technology to make discoveries and share theories with scientists globally. The benefits of the new information superhighway far outweigh the costs associated with its implementation and development.

It is highly feasible that at some point in the near future, Internet2 will become commercially available, thus repeating the problem of congestion and frustration. This will likely lead to the development of an Internet3 and possibly an Internet4. In the meantime, Internet2 represents the latest in technological advances for the purpose of disseminating information more efficiently and quickly than ever before. The benefits and capabilities of this new system are explored in greater detail below, as well as the relationship of Internet2 to NGI, or the Next Generation Internet.

The Original Internet: History and Limitations

The Internet, developed primarily in the early 1970s, revolutionized the manner in which computer communications occurred. It at once introduced the possibility of a "world-wide broadcasting" agent; it was created as a tool for disseminating information and as a medium for facilitating interaction between individuals and computers "without regard to geographic location" (Leiner et al., 2004).

The concept of the Internet originated through a series of memos written by J.C.R. Licklider of MIT in August 1962, which discussed the potential for social interactions through computer networking (Leiner et al., 2004). Licklider referred to this vision as his "Galactic Network" concept (Leiner et al., 2004) and convinced others of its importance. Leonard Kleinrock at MIT later published a paper on packet switching theory, which suggested the potential feasibility of communication via packets instead of circuits — the first real step toward computer networking (Leiner et al., 2004). In 1965, the first two computers — the TX-2 in Massachusetts and the Q-32 in California — were connected via a low-speed dial-up link, forming the first wide-area computer network (Leiner et al., 2004). This networking concept was further developed, and Interface Message Processors (IMPs) were created; during the late 1960s, the first host computer was connected (Leiner et al., 2004).

The first Internet was referred to as the ARPANET. Eventually, networking research led to the development of the well-functioning web. The Internet itself was based on the idea that there could be "multiple independent networks of rather arbitrary design" (Leiner et al., 2004), and it now embodies an internetworking architecture (Leiner et al., 2004).

Over the last several years, the Internet has grown tremendously. What was once a small network connecting primarily researchers has grown into a global network connecting people and organizations all over the world (Dimitrov, n.d.). As the Internet has grown and changed, so too has its role in society. With the advent of technological advances, the Internet has become a commercially based tool, utilized by large organizations and small, by individuals and government entities alike, for a variety of purposes including banking and other personal affairs (Dimitrov, n.d.). There are now large networks of thousands of computers available for employees who work remotely, and suppliers and business partners have also taken advantage of the ever-increasing technology.

There are, however, limitations with the current system. Many have described the present-day Internet as very slow. Because of the incredibly large volume of users and the information exchanged on a daily basis, government agencies and researchers have raised concerns about performance. There are also a number of security issues that have emerged in recent years and are currently being addressed. Primarily because of the advent of newer technology and advanced educational and governmental needs, a next generation network — Internet2 — has been developed.

Internet2 and NGI: Purpose, Funding, and Structure

The use of the Internet has grown exponentially. In 1996, home usage of the Internet topped approximately 11 million Americans (Harper, 1997). By 1997, that figure rose to 150 million online, with projections at the time estimating 1 billion users by the year 2000 (Harper, 1997). The Next Generation Internet, often referred to as Internet2, was conceived as a "collaborative network of universities" receiving millions of dollars in federal funds to enact a more comprehensive partnership among industries, academia, and government (Harper, 1997).

NGI, or Next Generation Internet, has become a term used by governments, corporations, and educators "to describe the future network and the work underway to develop it" (NGI, 2004). It has grown out of the larger and more crowded Internet in response to the needs of governments, scientists, and universities seeking a new way to send information accurately, powerfully, and efficiently. Internet2 and NGI have grown out of the desire to realize this goal, with the purpose of developing faster technologies that will ultimately enhance research and communication.

Internet2 and NGI combined represent a collection of more than 100 universities and high-tech companies using high-speed fiber-optic circuits and sophisticated software to share information across the superhighway (Swartz, 1997). The intention is to minimize utilization to government researchers and educators (Swartz, 1997). Scientists, researchers, and Internet architects are attempting to create a new web that is 100 to 1,000 times faster than the current system (Swartz, 1997).

The project is sponsored by a number of sources. While in office, the Clinton administration set aside more than $300 million over a three-year period to help develop NGI, which would ultimately benefit the government by providing network links far faster than current Internet capability (Swartz, 1997). NGI includes sponsorship from government research and development agencies including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Swartz, 1997).

The goal of NGI, according to Tom Kalil, the senior director for the White House National Economic Council, is: "To create the foundation for the networks and applications of the 21st century — just as DARPA and NSF Net led to the creation of the current Internet" (Swartz, 1997).

Internet2, along a similar vein, is being developed among a collaboration of 135 universities and corporations, sponsored among others by Stanford, the University of California at Berkeley, Harvard, Cornell, Yale, and the University of Virginia (Swartz, 1997). The goal of this project is, in essence, "to create a virtual university for students and professors to access books from libraries thousands of miles apart, to take classes at other campuses and to collaborate on research projects" (Swartz, 1997).

Each of the universities involved contributed $25,000 initially and a total of $500,000 per year for the project over a three-year time span (Swartz, 1997). Corporate sponsors include IBM, AT&T, and MCI, who together are contributing more than $1 million each to help promote the construction of Internet2 (Swartz, 1997).

Whereas NGI is more heavily governed by government agencies, Internet2 is guided by a steering committee made up of members from sponsoring universities. NGI and Internet2 are separate projects but share many common goals and aspirations. Both are aiming to provide links to the commercial web, and both will depend upon the traditional Internet for email service and low-level research (Swartz, 1997).

The following summaries outline the key features of each initiative:

NGI Summary: Purposes include connecting universities and national laboratories, operating at speeds 1,000 times faster than the present Internet, enabling advanced networking and research, and enabling better medical diagnosis and scientific research. Estimated costs range from $300 to $500 million. Financing is provided by the federal government ($300 million initially) and by universities and private corporations. Members include DARPA, the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Founded: October 1996. (Source: Swartz, 1997; SCV, 1997)

Internet2 Summary: Purpose is to link university networks and connect at speeds 100 times faster than the current Internet for research and academic collaboration. Members include more than 100 universities and corporations. Cost: $300 million. Financing: universities paying $500,000 annually for three years; corporations contributing more than $1 million each. Founded: October 1996. (Source: Swartz, 1997; SCV, 1997)

The general applications attributed to NGI include the following: health care, national security, distance learning, energy research, biomedical applications, environmental monitoring, and manufacturing (SCV, 1997).

Conclusion

The advent of the Internet marked a remarkable change in the way people communicate. No longer do humans have to rely on inefficient systems such as telephone communication to share ideas and theories. The Internet permanently changed the way people would communicate. Since its advent, technological advances have continued to change the way users interface. The Internet has become highly commercialized, resulting in excessive congestion and frustration on the part of many users.

As a result, government officials, corporations, and members of academia have invested in new technologies — Internet2 and NGI. This new technology is intended initially for exclusive use among educators, researchers, corporations, and government officials. It allows for communication and interaction to occur at speeds 100 to 1,000 times faster than the original Internet and has established a new standard for achievement and success. Researchers the world over will be able to collaborate on projects at a moment's notice thanks to this latest technology. Universities will be afforded the opportunity to provide better references and educational consortiums for students and professors. Educators are interested in creating access to worldwide libraries — not just portions of them, but the libraries as a whole.

There are scientists who are only beginning to realize the implications of Internet2. Eventually, it is expected that the use of Internet2 will become commercially based, and even more advanced technological developments will be realized, potentially resulting in the creation of an Internet3 or beyond. These advances will rely in part upon the success of the technologies currently being developed for Internet2, and upon the general acceptance and critical engagement the new technology generates from the public.