From: "Swisher, Bob" <bswisher@ou.edu>
To: "'it-fyi@listserv.ou.edu'" <it-fyi@lists.ou.edu>
Subject: it-fyi: OneNet, OSU and OU join Abilene Network (Ok St Regents fo
Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 09:09:27 -0500
OneNet, OSU and OU join Abilene Network
OneNet--Oklahoma's telecommunications and information network--has
officially begun operations as one of 10 major access nodes on the
Abilene Network, the most advanced research and education network in the
nation.
The State Regents for Higher Education, which operates OneNet in
cooperation with the Office of State Finance, also announced that
Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma are among 50
universities nationwide to receive the Abilene Network's
high-performance services.
As a major access node, or "GigaPoP," OneNet shares in the
responsibility of managing, testing and monitoring the network, an
Internet2 backbone that will serve as a test bed for future Internet
applications in areas such as distance learning, research, telemedicine
and digital libraries.
"Thanks to the involvement of OneNet and OU and OSU in the Abilene
Network, our state has gained access to a whole new world of resources
and opportunities," said Chancellor Hans Brisch.
"Connection to the Abilene Network and Internet2 lifts Oklahoma's
research universities to the upper echelon of higher education and
allows us to collaborate on research with that elite group," said James
E. Halligan, president of Oklahoma State University.
"Advanced networks such as Abilene are critical to the competitiveness
of our research and education programs," said T.H. Lee Williams,
associate dean of geosciences at OU and director of Oklahoma EPSCoR, a
statewide program to build research competitiveness.
Abilene spans more than 10,000 miles and operates at 2.4 gigabits per
second, a speed 45,000 times faster than a 56k modem. More than 70
Internet2 universities and research facilities are expected to connect
to Abilene by the end of 1999.
The Abilene Network is a project of the University Corporation for
Advanced Internet Development. It is made possible in part by Qwest
Communications, Cisco, Nortel Networks and Indiana University, which
have contributed equipment and services with an estimated value of $500
million over three years.