Advanced Network Technology

Book excerpt: This background paper analyzes technologies for tomorrow's information superhighways. Advanced networks will first be used to support scientists in their work, but will soon be deployed more widely in business, entertainment, health care, and education. Significant progress has been made toward the development of gigabit network technology since the basic characteristics of the design of broadband networks began to emerge in the mid-1980s. No insurmountable technological barriers to the gigabit National Research and Education Network (NREN) appear to exist, as work in the testbeds (i.e., initial testing programs) is demonstrating. Testbed networks model the configuration in which the technology is expected to be deployed, in that test sites are separated by realistic distances and realistic technological applications will be used. Testbed applications research helps researchers understand how the NREN can be used to achieve science goals and as a testbed in itself, demonstrating technology that can be deployed more widely. The following topics are reviewed: (1) the Internet; (2) broadband network technology; (3) gigabit research; and (4) application of testbed research. One table and 17 figures illustrate the discussion. Highlighted points are summarized in 10 boxes. (SLD)