News for and about the Internet2 community

["Michelle Pollak" <>]

ABILENE NETWORK UPGRADE TO 10 GBPS COMPLETE
New OC-192 circuits provide Abilene participants leading-edge networking
capability

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 4, 2004 - Abilene, the most advanced research
and education network in the United States, today announced the completion
of its upgrade from 2.5 Gigabits per second (Gbps) to 10 Gbps.  The
Internet2(R) backbone network upgrade quadruples the capacity to more than
15,000 times faster than a typical home broadband connection.  Abilene
partners, Indiana University, Juniper Networks and Qwest Communications,
provided the equipment and services to successfully implement the network
upgrade.

The Abilene upgrade gives researchers, students and professors at more than
200 Internet2 member institutions a more robust network, on which to conduct
research; supports both Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and native IPv6
networks; and increases overall network performance.

"With the upgrade now complete, Abilene continues to provide the Internet2
membership with a vehicle for advancement and development through a
leading-edge, national network environment," said Internet2 president and
CEO, Douglas Van Houweling.  "Many thanks go to our partners who made the
upgrade a smooth process with their ongoing support."

New routers were installed across the 13,000 route-mile national backbone,
and all but one OC-48c circuit was replaced with an OC-192c circuit.  In the
process, several router locations were changed but all remain collocated in
Qwest points of presence (PoPs).

"This upgrade of Abilene is a significant milestone in achieving the goal of
providing advanced network capabilities for teaching and research," said
Indiana University associate vice president for telecommunications, Brian D.
Voss.  "Indiana University is delighted to be a partner in Abilene, and we
are proud to host the Abilene Network Operations Center and to have provided
the hands-on expertise for this upgrade of Abilene."

"We are proud to work with Internet2 on upgrading the Abilene Network to 10
Gigabits per second performance with our T-series routing platforms," said
John Jamison, director of Research and Education Markets, Juniper Networks.
"We are confident that our products and services will deliver the highest
levels of performance to Abilene users on Internet2 campuses underscoring
our dedication to meeting the technology demands of higher education."

"Qwest's contributions to the Abilene Network represent the company's
position of leadership in the broadband IP marketplace," said Clifford S.
Holtz, executive vice president, Qwest Business Markets Group.  "Through
Qwest's nationwide network, Internet2 member institutions can count on the
fast, reliable transfer of communications, contributing to the success of
their research endeavors."

# # #

About the Abilene Network
The Abilene Network is an Internet2 high-performance backbone network that
enables the development of advanced Internet applications and the deployment
of leading-edge network services to Internet2 universities and research labs
across the country.  The network has become the most advanced native IP
backbone network available to universities participating in Internet2.

The Abilene Network supports the development of applications such as virtual
laboratories, digital libraries, distance education and tele-immersion, as
well as the advanced networking capabilities that are the focus of
Internet2.  Abilene complements and peers with other high-performance
research networks in the United States and internationally.  For more
information, visit: http://abilene.internet2.edu/.

About Internet2(R)
Led by more than 200 U.S. universities, working with industry and
government, Internet2 is developing and deploying advanced network
applications and technologies for research and higher education,
accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet.  Internet2 recreates the
partnerships among academia, industry, and government that helped foster
today's Internet in its infancy.  For more information about Internet2,
visit: http://www.internet2.edu/.

About Indiana University
Indiana University is one of the oldest state universities in the Midwest
and also one of the largest universities in the United States, with more
than 110,000 students, faculty, and staff on eight campuses. IU has a
growing national and international reputation in the areas of information
technology and advanced networking. IU, at its Indianapolis campus, is home
to the Abilene Network Operations Center as well as the Global Research
Network Operations Center (Global NOC(R)). For more information, see:
http://www.indiana.edu.

About Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks transforms the business of networking by converting a
commodity - bandwidth - into a dependable, secure, and highly valuable
corporate asset. Founded in 1996 to meet the stringent demands of service
providers, Juniper Networks is now relied upon by the world's leading
network operators, government agencies, research and education institutions,
and information-intensive enterprises as the foundation for uncompromising
networks. Juniper Networks is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Additional information can be found at http://www.juniper.net.

About Qwest Communications
Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) is a leader in reliable,
scalable and secure broadband data, voice and image communications for
businesses and consumers. The Qwest Macro Capacity(R) Fiber Network,
designed with the newest optical networking equipment for speed and
efficiency, spans more than 190,000 miles globally. For more information,
please visit the Qwest Web site at www.qwest.com.

CONTACT:
Michelle Pollak
Internet2
(202) 331-5345


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