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 leilameyer@gmail.com.