Government, University and Technology Leaders Deliver World's Most
Advanced IP Backbone Network
Network to Enable Leading Edge Collaborative Application, Research and Development, and
Advanced Education Capabilities
WASHINGTON, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Vice President Al Gore today unveiled the most advanced and far-reaching
research and education network in the world. The Internet Protocol (IP) network, called Abilene, is being developed by the
University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID), through access to the nationwide Qwest fiber optic
network and technologies provided by Cisco Systems and Nortel (Northern Telecom). The Abilene research and education
network will become the most advanced native IP backbone network available to universities participating in UCAID's
Internet2 project.
''I applaud the extraordinary commitments of these companies,'' the Vice President said. ''In the coming years, this investment
may enable the best medical specialists to give advice to patients in rural hospitals, scientists to use remote supercomputers to
predict tornadoes, and adults to get new skills through distance learning.''
''Abilene's advanced networking capabilities will enable researchers and educators to develop the advanced applications crucial
to the mission of higher education'' said Dr. Douglas E. Van Houweling, UCAID's president and CEO. ''Abilene will join with
federal efforts already underway to develop new networking technologies.''
The Abilene network will immensely expand support for the development of applications such as virtual laboratories, digital
libraries, distance- independent education and tele-immersion, as well as the advanced networking capabilities that are the focus
of the Internet2 project.
''Qwest is pleased to provide the most advanced IP network in the world to help universities develop cutting-edge applications
that will benefit academia and corporate America through technological advancement,'' said Joseph P. Nacchio, president and
CEO at Qwest. ''Just as the first public Internet revolutionized the way the world works and plays, the Abilene network,
powered by Qwest, Cisco and Nortel, will give researchers the security, reliability and capacity to take technological innovation
to a new plateau.''
With initial operation expected to begin before the end of this year, and full deployment completed by the end of 1999, the
Abilene project will provide unparalleled networking capabilities to the member universities of UCAID. The Abilene project
plans to interconnect with existing advanced research and education networks, such as the very high performance Backbone
Network Service (vBNS), and play a role in the federal government's Next Generation Internet initiative.
The vBNS is a network provided under a cooperative agreement between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and MCI to
NSF-approved institutions of research and higher learning. Abilene and the vBNS will both serve as Internet2 backbone
networks, consistent with the research and education community's needs for a diverse advanced networking environment.
About the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID)
The University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development provides leadership and direction for advanced networking
development within the U.S. university community. Its activities include the Internet2 project, as well as other programs devoted
to network research, technology transfer, and collaborative activities in related fields such as distance learning and educational
technology. Internet2 is a collaborative project by over 120 U.S. research universities, in partnership with industry leaders and
U.S. federal agencies, to develop a new family of advanced applications to meet emerging academic requirements in research,
teaching and learning. Internet2 is addressing this challenge by creating a leading edge network capability, enabling a new
generation of applications, and integrating these efforts with the current academic Internet services. For more information, see
www.ucaid.edu.
About Qwest
Qwest Communications International Inc. (Nasdaq: QWST - news) is a multimedia communications company building a
high-capacity, fiber optic network for the 21st century. With its cutting-edge technology, Qwest will deliver high- quality data,
video and voice connectivity securely and reliably to businesses, consumers and other communications service providers.
Further information is available at www.qwest.net.
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