Indiana University Flips on 100G Transatlantic Link

International Networks at Indiana University (IU) and its partners have activated a new transatlantic subsea cable that provides 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) of network connectivity to support the flow of research data between the United States, Europe and Africa.

The Networks for European, American and African Research (NEAAR) project is co-led by IU in partnership with GÉANT, which provides support to the European research and education network. Jennifer Schopf, director of International Networks at IU and principal investigator on the NEAAR project, said the new circuit will enable "important work in bioinformatics, geoscience and medical research."

"From food security to viral diseases and climate change, the challenges we face are very much global," said Cathrin Stöver, chief collaboration officer at GÉANT, in a prepared statement. "Our mission is to support researchers in solving these challenges, combining their knowledge wherever they are to allow faster discovery."

The network runs over the America-Europe Connect (AEConnect) subsea cable system provided by vendor Aqua Comms DAC. The new 3,431-mile undersea cable network between the U.S. and Ireland replaces the previous connection and provides three times faster connectivity using optical technologies.

The NEAAR project was funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of its International Research Network Connections program. The four-year, $3.25 million NEAAR grant provides "services and bandwidth connecting researchers in the United States with their counterparts in Europe and Africa" and supports "the majority of the NSF-funded research sharing between Africa and the United States," according to information from IU.

International Networks at Indiana University delivers network connectivity to support scientific collaboration. IU and GÉANT have partnered on previous networking NSF-funded networking projects, including America Connects to Europe and TransPAC.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

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