Level 3 Communications will work with Internet2 to assist in the development and deployment of a new nationwide network and new services to enhance and support the advanced needs of the academic and research community.
Internet2 is the consortium of academic organizations creating a new, advanced version of the Internet. This new network initially will eventually afford Internet2 members 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) of capacity, more than 10 times that of the current Internet2 backbone network, and will be designed to scale to add capacity as Internet2 members’ requirements evolve.
Under the terms of the multi-year agreement with Level 3, the company will provide dedicated facilities enabling multiple 10 Gbps wavelengths, high-speed IP transit and co-location services with options for private line, metro and long-haul dark fiber services to interconnect the backbone with academic institutions and support growth and changes in member requirements over time.
Level 3 will allow network users to obtain dedicated 1 Gbps sub-wavelengths or entire 10 Gbps wavelengths through advanced network scheduling or on-demand. It will also enable users to provision circuits dynamically for short or long-term use. Additionally, using this optical system, the new Internet2 network will provide production IP capabilities and bundled access to the Internet.