New Internet2 Backbone Uses a Range of New Technologies

Internet2 has finished the transition of its research and education network traffic to the fifth-generation backbone that interconnects with 37 state and regional networks, serving every state in the country. It’s an important development because the network serves a critical niche in the national broadband infrastructure and underpins high-capacity and advanced services. In 2021, Internet2 moved over 2.75 exabytes of data, equivalent to a video call that is 594,557 years long, or 27.5 million high-definition films. Internet2’s next-generation hardware includes 12,000 miles of new single-mode ultra optical fiber across the US, along with power-and space-saving optical and routing equipment that is the equivalent of going from two (or more) college dorm refrigerators to a handful of medium pizza boxes at each site. The network’s new optical layer, Next Generation Infrastructure (NGI), supports up to 32 Tbps per segment, while the generation of transponders will provide increments of 400-800 gigabits per second. Additionally, the NGI’s new packet layer provides 8-16 petabits per second of port capacity per location, delivering “new software-driven advanced capabilities” with a greener footprint, with an expected 70 percent reduction in power consumption.