News for and about the Internet2 community

["Lauren Rotman" <>]

Internet2 Survey Finds Over 46,000 K20 Institutions Connected To Its
Next-Generation Network

K20 Access to Advanced Networking More than Quadruples in Four Years

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - March 24, 2006 - More than 46,000 K-12 schools, community
colleges, libraries, and museums in 35 U.S. states are now connected to the
Internet2 backbone network according to the results of a bi-annual survey,
released today. The survey highlights the success of the nationwide
Internet2 K20 Initiative in bringing together Internet2 member institutions
and innovators from primary and secondary schools, colleges and
universities, libraries, and museums to extend new technologies,
applications, and advanced content to all educational sectors across the
country. 

Among the results, the survey found that 37% of all U.S. K-12 schools, 54%
of all US community colleges in the US, 57% of all US four year colleges,
and 20% of all US libraries are now connected to Internet2's nationwide
network. The vast majority of these connected institutions have also adopted
the use of leading-edge video conferencing and streaming media technology
like H.323, DVTS, or MPEG, the survey showed.

Through this technology, K20 students have access to world-class learning
experiences like master music classes taught by world-renowned musicians
using DVD-quality videoconferencing or science experiments with advanced
electron microscopes found at research labs using remote imaging
instruments. Students also participate in programs, like Megaconference
Junior, a project that brings together thousands of students in elementary
and secondary schools from around the world using advanced multi-point
video-conferencing. And this year, students and teachers across the country
will join in the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration through
virtual field trips and other web-based educational experiences.

"In just under five years since the K20 Initiative's inception, Internet2
and its members have successfully created a diverse community of educators
and students at all skill levels, who through the use of the network, have
discovered rich, new ways to learn and collaborate to enhance their
curriculum beyond traditional boundaries," said Dr. Louis Fox, director,
Internet2 K20 Initiative and vice provost, University of Washington. "In
doing so, we have extended resources to so many areas of the country that
may not otherwise have access to these valuable learning materials and
diverse experiences -- helping to revitalize student and teacher interest in
important areas such as music, art and science."

As more and more of the K20 community continue to connect to Internet2's
backbone network, many state education networks are beginning to
aggressively invest in upgrading their own capabilities. The survey found
that since 2004, the number of K20 organizations which connect at speeds
above 10 megabits per second (Mbps) has nearly tripled from 2178 in 2004 to
6068 in 2006 and the vast majority of Performing Arts Centers, Science
Centers, and Planetariums now also connect to the network at rates above 10
Mbps.

Fox added, "While many school districts and state education networks have
made considerable progress in upgrading their local networks, the majority
of K-12 schools still report connections of less than 10 Mbps. Without
high-capacity connections to the network, the benefits of advanced learning
applications may be unrealized. Investing in high capacity connections will
enable students to fully participate in this expanding global fabric which
has become so vital to the progress of our educational missions."

Complete survey results can be found at:
http://k20.internet2.edu/survey/survey_index.php

Selected 2006 SEGP Connectivity Key Survey Findings:
State Network Overview*
* 35 networks are connected to the high performance Internet2 backbone
network.
* The average State Education Network connects to Internet2 at 756 Mbps. 
* This is up from 467 Mbps in 2004 and 138 Mbps in 2002.
* 69% of the state education networks connected to the Internet2 backbone
network are multicast enabled.
* 60% of the state education networks that access the Internet2 backbone
network provide other video services (MPEG, Access Grid Node, etc.)

Four Year Colleges & Universities
* 1002 out of 2026 or 49% of the 4 Year Colleges & Universities in the
United States are connected to Internet2 via the SEGP Program.
* 69 out of 1002, or 57%, of 4 Year Colleges & Universities connect to the
Internet2 backbone network at >= 10 Mbps.

Community Colleges
* 677 out of 1252 or 54% of the Community Colleges in the United States are
connected to Internet2 via the SEGP Program.
* 328 out of 677, or 48%, of Community Colleges connect to the Internet2
backbone network at >= 10 Mbps.
* 17% of state education networks report between 50 - 100% of the Community
Colleges they connect are multi-cast enabled.

K12 Schools
* 35971 out of 98335 or 37% of the K12 Schools in the United States are
connected to Internet2 via the SEGP Program.
*  4350 out of 35971, or 12%, of K12 Schools connect to the Internet2
backbone network at >= 10 Mbps.
* 17% of state education networks report between 50 - 100% of the K12
Schools they connect are multi-cast enabled.
* State education networks report, on average, that 44% of the K12 Schools
they connnect have H.323, DVTS, MPEG, or other video conferencing codecs
available.
 
Public Libraries
* 3325 out of 16991 or 20% of the Public Libraries in the United States are
connected to Internet2 via the SEGP Program.
* 229 out of 3325, or 7%, of Public Libraries connect to the Internet2
backbone network at >= 10 Mbps.

Museums, Historical, & Cultural Centers **
* 28 out of 80, or 35%, of Museums, Historical, & Cultural Centers connect
to the Internet2 backbone network at >= 10 Mbps.

Performing Arts Centers **
* 19 out of 24, or 79%, of Performing Arts Centers connect to the
* Internet2 backbone network at >= 10 Mbps.

Science Centers, Planetariums, & Observatories  **
* 36 out of 228 or 16% of the Science Centers, Planetariums, & Observatories
in the United States are connected to Internet2 via the SEGP Program.
* 25 out of 36, or 68%, of Science Centers, Planetariums, & Observatories
connect to the Internet2 backbone network at >= 10 Mbps.

Zoos & Aquariums **
* 12 out of 203 or 6% of the Zoos & Aquariums in the United States are
connected to Internet2 via the SEGP Program.
* 2 out of 12, or 17%, of Zoos & Aquariums connect to the Internet2 backbone
network at >= 10 Mbps.

* survey methodology - http://k20.internet2.edu/survey/methodology.php
** please see the following URL for a list of the organizations connected -
http://k20.internet2.edu/survey/results/organization_directory.php

About the Sponsored Educational Group Participant (SEGP) The SEGP program is
intended to allow expanded access to the Internet2 Abilene network for state
and regional education networks, through sponsorship by Internet2 university
members. State and regional networks may include nonprofit and for-profit
K20 educational institutions, museums, libraries, art galleries, or
hospitals that require routine collaboration on instructional, clinical
and/or research projects, services and content with Internet2 members or
with other sponsored participants. The program began in early 2001 and has
since connected 35 state K20 networks. Visit http://k20.internet2.edu.

About Internet2
Led by more than 200 U.S. universities, working with industry and
government, Internet2 develops and deploys 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/.

CONTACT:  
Lauren Rotman
Internet2


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