Top universities link up to develop 'Internet II'

Internet users know that the "information superhighway" is often marked by traffic jams, detours and construction. But computing authorities hope that a new network designed solely for higher education will make the ride smoother. At a meeting last October, computing experts from 34 top universities agreed to support the project, which has been dubbed Internet II. Plans for Internet II are still being developed, but organizers claim that the new network will help professors and students meet their research needs by providing reliable and fast service, as well as such things as digital libraries and online collaborative research. Several institutions -- including Penn -- have agreed to establish an organization to facilitate the development of the new network. The project will be funded primarily by membership fees from participating institutions, and the size of the new network will be determined by the number of universities choosing to take part in the service. Internet II, however, will not replace the Internet at universities that chose to be involved with the project. The service will provide its members with faster access to sites run by participating universities, but the original Internet will still be required to access all other sites. Because of the high cost of upgrading existing systems for Internet II, organizers anticipate that the new network will initially only be available to wealthy, predominantly-private universities. But organizers hope that technological advances made on Internet II will eventually "trickle down" to the original Internet as well. And while organizers anticipate receiving funding from computer and telecommunications corporations, they want to prevent the network from being limited by dependence on such commercial support. Internet II will help free researchers from these constraints, according to Mike Roberts, vice president of Educom -- a consortium of over 600 colleges promoting computing in education. "We're hoping to create an environment that lets people push the envelope and provides high-quality service," he said. University of Wisconsin Computer Science Professor Lawrence Landweber added that Internet II will be able to provide universities with cutting-edge technology. "This will help to keep the universities vital," he said. "It will help us look at the next generation of applications that will roll out in the commercial market in five or 10 years." The project is also likely to receive government funding, but organizers disagree over the government's proper role in Internet II. Penn Telecommunications Professor David Farber -- who is involved with creating the new network -- explained that the National Science Foundation played an important role in the development of the original Internet. The government-funded NSF was responsible for issuing a contract for the operation of the Internet until the network was privatized in 1995. Farber said he hopes to allow for some competition on the new network, noting that a contract with one firm would prevent Internet II from "evolving." He added that competition would encourage firms to use Internet II to test their latest technology.