Six of the world’s leading research and education networks and two commercial partners have demonstrated for the first time a transatlantic 100 gigabits-per-second transmission link for research and education between North America and Europe during the TERENA Networking Conference 2013 (TNC2013), held in Maastricht, Netherlands. These demonstrations showcased emerging technologies and advanced applications for science, research and education.
The 100 Gbps link, called the Advanced North Atlantic 100G Pilot project (ANA-100G), will be used for engineering and testing the transmission link, applications, resources, monitoring techniques and advanced technologies such as software-defined networking. The testing will be between as many as four open exchange points, including MAN LAN in New York City and NetherLight in Amsterdam, for at least 12 months following the conference. These efforts will determine the operational requirements needed to effectively run 100 Gbps wavelengths between North America and Europe to meet the growing demand of specialised research organizations.
'This achievement shows that research and education networks are at the forefront of innovation, thereby empowering the most advanced research by universities and research institutions worldwide,' said Erwin Bleumink, chief executive officer of SURFnet – the local organizer of TNC2013. 'The impact of this development however will also be seen outside academia and help stimulate the global economy.'
The R&E networks participating in the project are Internet2, NORDUnet, ESnet, SURFnet, CANARIE, and GÉANT. Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN) is also supporting the ANA-100G pilot. Ciena is providing photonic equipment, including the recently released subsea version of the 100 Gbps WaveLogic 3 transponder. Furthermore, Juniper loaned equipment that enables some of the eye-catching demonstrations. The leaders’ announced their intentions for the pilot at the recent Internet2 Annual Meeting.
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