UT researchers will soon be able to log on to a new generation of high-
speed computer technology with the help of a federal grant.
The National Science Foundation has granted $12.3 million to UTK,
Vanderbilt University and 33 other institutions to connect campuses to
NSF’s Backbone Network Service, a high-speed rendition of today’s
Internet.
According to Ed Mahon, director of telecommunications and network services
at UT, vBNS, or Internet II, has the capacity to connect to over 100
research institutions at speeds up to 1,000 times faster than the current
Internet.
The network will be capable of transmitting all 30 volumes of the
Encyclopedia Britannica in less than a second. It will also have better
quality audio and video transmission than the current Internet.
“This is a crucial step in providing UT-Knoxville’s researchers and the
campus community with the next generation of high-speed capabilities,”
Mahon said. “Our faculty’s descriptions of their research and their need
for this type of network was very important in our winning this
grant.”
Another key element in securing the NSF funds was UTK’s investment in its
own internal computer network, said Terry Moore, academic projects
coordinator.
This new Internet is a foundation for the Next Generation Internet that
President Clinton announced in Knoxville last fall. The grant will provide
$350,000 over two years to each of the 35 participants in the program, to
be used for initial hook-up and subsequent development of the network.
Grants were previously awarded to 29 organizations.
“This is not just about putting cable and hardware in place,” said Micah
Beck, network research coordinator. “Our primary goal is to make sure our
faculty can do the research that they want to do on this network.”
At the same time, UT’s researchers will be aiding in the development of new
technology and procedures for the Internet system.
Being a part of this network will be an advantage for participating
institutions in more ways than one, said Stan Pinkleton, manager of
planning and special projects.
UT will not only be able to retrieve information from this Internet system,
but will also be able to attract additional research funding and faculty to
UTK to help develop this program.
