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Internet2
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Internet2 is a not-for-profit United States computer networking consortium led by members from the research and education communities, industry, and government.[2] The Internet2 consortium administrative headquarters are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with offices in Washington, D.C., and Denver, Colorado.[1]

Key Information

As of November 2013, Internet2 has over 500 members including 251 institutions of higher education,[3] 9 partners and 76 members from industry,[4] over 100 research and education networks or connector organizations,[5][6] and 67 affiliate members.[7]

Internet2 operates the Internet2 Network,[8] an Internet Protocol network using optical fiber that delivers network services for research and education, and provides a secure network testing and research environment. In late 2007, Internet2 began operating its newest dynamic circuit network, the Internet2 DCN, an advanced technology that allows user-based allocation of data circuits over the fiber-optic network.

Internet2 also operates the InCommon Federation, which facilitates authentication services and attributes among member institutions in the US and among eduGAIN [9] members globally.

The Internet2 Network, through its regional network and connector members, connects over 60,000 U.S. educational, research, government and "community anchor" institutions, from primary and secondary schools to community colleges and universities, public libraries and museums to health care organizations.[10]

The Internet2 community develops and deploys network technologies for the future of the Internet. These technologies include large-scale network performance measurement and management tools,[11] secure identity and access management tools[12] and capabilities such as scheduling high-bandwidth, high-performance circuits.[13]

Internet2 members serve on several advisory councils,[14] collaborate in a variety of working groups and special interest groups,[15] gather at spring and fall member meetings,[16] and are encouraged to participate in the strategic planning process.[17]

History

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As the Internet gained in public recognition and popularity, universities were among the first institutions to outgrow the Internet's bandwidth limitations because of the data transfer requirements faced by academic researchers who needed to collaborate with their colleagues. Some universities wanted to support high-performance applications like data mining, medical imaging and particle physics. This resulted in the creation of the very-high-performance Backbone Network Service, or vBNS, developed in 1995 by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and MCI for supercomputers at educational institutions. After the expiration of the NSF agreement, vBNS largely transitioned to providing service to the government. As a result, the research and education community founded Internet2 to serve its networking needs.

The Internet2 Project was originally established by 34 university researchers in 1996 under the auspices of EDUCOM (later EDUCAUSE), and was formally organized as the not-for-profit University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID) in 1997. It later changed its name to Internet2. Internet2 is a registered trademark.[18]

The Internet2 community, in partnership with Qwest, built the first Internet2 Network, called Abilene, in 1998 and was a prime investor in the National LambdaRail (NLR) project.[19] During 2004–2006, Internet2 and NLR held extensive discussions regarding a possible merger.[20] Those talks paused in spring, 2006, resumed in March, 2007, but eventually ceased in the fall of 2007,[21] due to unresolved differences.

In 2006, Internet2 announced a partnership with Level 3 Communications to launch a brand new nationwide network, boosting its capacity from 10 Gbit/s to 100 Gbit/s.[22] In October, 2007, Internet2 officially retired Abilene and now refers to its new, higher capacity network as the Internet2 Network.

In 2010, Internet2 received a $62.5 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant,[23] which allowed Internet2 to put in place a long term IRU for fiber and upgrade the network with its own DWDM optical network system. Ciena later announced that this was the first 100G nationwide optical network.[24] The upgrade to the new optical system was completed in December 2012.[25]

Objectives

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Internet2 provides the U.S. research and education community with a network that satisfies their bandwidth-intensive requirements. The network itself is a dynamic, robust and cost-effective hybrid optical and packet network. It furnishes a 100 Gbit/s network backbone to more than 210 U.S. educational institutions, 70 corporations and 45 non-profit and government agencies.

The objectives of the Internet2 consortium are:

  • Developing and maintaining a leading-edge network.
  • Fully exploiting the capabilities of broadband connections through the use of new-generation applications.
  • Transferring new network services and applications to all levels of educational use, and eventually the broader Internet community.

Internet has several broad areas of activities.They are roughly grouped into the following groupings:

  • Network services - providing high-performance and sophisticated bandwidth and circuits , with effective cross-connects from institutions to cloud providers.
  • Trust and identity - supporting open source federated identity software with access control capabilities and operating InCommon,[26] a national R&E identity federation with linkages to both US governmental agencies and international federations through eduGAIN.[27] One of the most popular services is eduroam, a global wifi network for R&E users.
  • Net+ - [28] A significant set of cloud-based services whose provisioning is structured to meet the unique business, legal and other constraints of the R&E community.

In addition, the Internet2 organization provides a set of community-oriented activities intended to support the use of the network and the federation. These activities include workshops, conferences, webinars, etc. In addition advisory groups set the directions and priorities for the organization.

The uses of the network span from collaborative applications, distributed research experiments, grid-based data analysis to social networking. Some of these applications are in varying levels of commercialization, such as IPv6, open-source middleware for secure network access, Layer 2 VPNs and dynamic circuit networks.

Achievements

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These technologies and their organizational counterparts were not only created to make a faster alternative to the Internet. Many fields have been able to use the Abilene network to foster creativity, research, and development in a way that was not previously possible. Users of poor quality libraries can now download not only text but sound recordings, animations, videos, and other resources, which would be otherwise unavailable. Another application is the robust video conferencing now available to Internet2 participants. Neurosurgeons can now video conference with other experts in the field during an operation in a high resolution format with no apparent time lag.[citation needed]

Application awards

[edit]

The Internet2 Driving Exemplary Applications (IDEA) award (not to be confused with IDEA awards) was first announced by Internet2 in 2006 as a way of recognizing those who create and use advanced network applications at their best. The judging was conducted by many universities and based upon the following criteria:

  • Magnitude of the positive impact of the application for its (current) users
  • Technical merit of the application.
  • Breadth of impact, as indicated by current user base and likelihood of broader adoption by its full natural community of potential users

The award was presented annually through 2011.[29]

See also

[edit]
  • AARNet (Australia's Academic and Research Network)
  • CANARIE (Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education)
  • CERNET (China Education and Research Network)
  • CLARA (Cooperación Latino Americana de Redes Avanzandas)
  • DFN (Deutsches Forschungsnetz), a German research network
  • DREN, U.S. Department of Defense Research and Engineering Network
  • ESnet (Energy Sciences Network)
  • GÉANT, the pan-European research network
  • HEAnet, Irish higher education network
  • JANET, British academic network
  • Kennisnet, Dutch public Internet organization
  • LEARN (Lanka Education and Research Network)
  • Merit Network, State of Michigan Triad Network
  • NLR (National LambdaRail), U.S. research and education network
  • NASK, Polish academic and research network
  • NORDUnet (Nordic Infrastructure for Research & Education)
  • Renater, French research network
  • SURFnet, Dutch research network
  • TERENA, defunct association of European national research and education networks
  • TANet, Taiwanese research and academic network

References

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Internet2

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from Grokipedia
Internet2 is a United States-based non-profit organization founded in by leading universities to develop and provide advanced networking infrastructure, cloud solutions, and related services tailored for the and . As a member-driven registered as the University Corporation for Advanced Development (UCAID), it operates a high-performance, secure national network that enables data-intensive scientific , advanced , and among scholars, scientists, and educators. With over 480 member organizations—including higher education institutions, government agencies, industry partners, and networks—Internet2 fosters innovation by accelerating discovery and addressing the evolving technology needs of its . The organization's core offerings include the Internet2 Network, a resilient backbone supporting speeds up to 400 Gbps with global connections for international collaborations. Complementary services encompass NET+ offerings, which vet and integrate third-party solutions like storage, infrastructure, and learning systems to ensure and performance. Additionally, through its InCommon Federation, Internet2 provides identity and access management tools, including (SSO) and , to facilitate secure data sharing and resource access across member institutions. These capabilities support critical applications in fields such as astronomy, , modeling, and high-energy physics, where low-latency, high-bandwidth connections are essential. Internet2's origins trace back to mid-1990s efforts to extend the capabilities of the early , building on (NSF) initiatives from the 1980s that connected supercomputer centers for researchers. Formally established at a 1996 meeting of 34 university leaders in , it evolved from projects like the NSF-funded vBNS (very high-speed Backbone Network Service) to create a dedicated environment for prototyping next-generation internet technologies separate from commercial traffic. Over the decades, Internet2 has expanded its infrastructure through multiple generations of networks, achieving milestones such as the 2022 transition to a fully automated 400G backbone, while maintaining a focus on community governance via a Board of Trustees and advisory committees. Today, it continues to drive advancements in areas like network automation, cybersecurity, and hybrid cloud environments to meet the demands of modern and .

History

Founding and Early Development

Internet2 originated from the efforts of 34 leading U.S. universities in October 1996, when representatives gathered to address the limitations of the for advanced and needs, forming the initial University Corporation for Advanced Development (UCAID) under the auspices of EDUCOM (now ). These institutions sought to create a high-performance network infrastructure that could support emerging applications in science, , and , distinct from the internet's growing congestion and . In 1997, UCAID was officially incorporated as a not-for-profit organization, establishing its administrative headquarters in , to coordinate these advanced networking initiatives. This formal structure built upon the (NSF)-funded very high-speed Backbone Network Service (vBNS), launched in 1995 as a non-commercial network connecting supercomputer centers and research sites at speeds up to 155 Mbps, which transitioned into serving as Internet2's initial backbone by linking member universities through regional gigapops starting that year. The vBNS provided a foundation for experimental high-bandwidth connectivity, enabling early collaborations among academic institutions without reliance on commodity services. The launch of the Abilene Network in February 1999 marked a significant milestone, introducing Internet2's first major backbone as a 2.4 Gbps IP-based network spanning over 10,000 miles and initially connecting more than 70 universities and institutions across the U.S. Abilene complemented the vBNS by offering dedicated paths for traffic, fostering applications like conferencing and large-scale data transfers. Early development was supported through partnerships with industry leaders, including Communications for the underlying fiber optic infrastructure and Systems for routing and switching technologies, which provided essential funding and technical expertise to scale the network rapidly. These collaborations ensured Abilene's operational viability while aligning with Internet2's goal of advancing national capabilities.

Network Evolution and Upgrades

Internet2's network infrastructure underwent significant upgrades in the mid-2000s to meet growing demands for high-speed connectivity. In 2007, the network transitioned from a backbone operating at 10 Gbit/s to 100 Gbit/s capacity through the deployment of dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) technology, enabling ten wavelengths of light over a single fiber to support advanced scientific applications. This upgrade coincided with the retirement of the Abilene Network in October 2007 and the transition to a new Internet2 Network backbone operated in partnership with providers like . This upgrade was part of broader efforts to enhance performance for the and education community, marking a tenfold increase in aggregate bandwidth. During the same period, Internet2 introduced dynamic circuit networks (DCN) in late 2007, allowing users to provision dedicated, point-to-point 10 Gbit/s connections on demand. This innovation complemented traditional IP packet switching with hybrid optical and packet infrastructure, as explored in the Hybrid Optical and Packet Infrastructure () project initiated in the early , which aimed to blend shared with dynamically allocated optical lambdas for more efficient data transfer. These developments provided greater flexibility for large-scale data movements, such as those required in high-energy physics experiments. In the early 2010s, Internet2 further advanced its capabilities with a $62.5 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2010, funding the deployment of a new optical backbone system completed by December 2012. This upgrade incorporated 100 Gbit/s Ethernet technology across the national footprint, in partnership with vendors like , to handle escalating from collaborations. Concurrently, the network began integrating connectivity services in 2019 with the launch of Internet2 Cloud Connect, which facilitates direct, high-speed links to major cloud providers via shared , easing access for educational workloads. Around the same time, in the late 2010s, Internet2 introduced DDoS volumetric services through partnerships like Radware, offering cloud-based scrubbing to protect against attacks by diverting over Internet2 connections. Network expansion extended internationally in the 2020s, with a focus on transatlantic peering. In 2024, Internet2 collaborated with CANARIE, ESnet, and GÉANT to unveil three 400 Gbit/s spectrum circuits across the North Atlantic, connecting exchange points in the , , and to boost capacity for global data flows. As of 2025, the Internet2 backbone supports a of over 2,000 organizations, including more than 480 direct members such as universities and research labs, with peak speeds exceeding 400 Gbit/s on multiple long-haul links utilizing coherent for efficient, transponder-free transmission over distances up to 3,000 km.

Organization and Governance

Membership and Community Structure

Internet2's membership comprises approximately 360 organizations dedicated to advancing and networking, including higher education institutions, labs, industry partners, and affiliates. These members collaborate to develop and deploy advanced network technologies, fostering across academic and professional . As of November 2025, the supports a diverse where participants contribute to and benefit from shared and exchange. Membership is structured into four primary categories to accommodate varying roles and needs: higher education institutions as core members, which form the foundational base with around 233 participants focused on campus-level and teaching; and (R&E) networks, numbering about 43, that aggregate and extend connectivity; industry members, totaling 39, providing technological expertise and commercial solutions; and affiliates, including 17 general affiliates and 27 federal affiliates, often encompassing international and governmental entities. This tiered system ensures equitable access to resources while aligning contributions with organizational scale and involvement. The community structure is enriched by collaborative groups that drive technical and strategic progress, including working groups for developing best practices on topics like and wireless technologies, advisory groups such as the Community Anchor Cyberinfrastructure Trust and Identity (CACTI) for policy input, and special interest groups (SIGs) addressing niche areas like . These groups facilitate collaboration and innovation. Key events, such as the annual Internet2 Technology Exchange (TechEX), held in , bring together technical experts for discussions on emerging R&E challenges, with the 2025 edition scheduled for Denver, Colorado. Regional R&E networks play a pivotal role in the membership framework by connecting individual members to Internet2's national backbone, aggregating traffic for efficient, high-performance delivery, and ensuring resilient access across states and regions. Examples include state-level providers and organizations like National LambdaRail (NLR), which offer dedicated lambda services to enhance connectivity for research institutions. To promote inclusivity, Internet2 implements diversity initiatives such as the Inclusivity (I2I) Scholarships, which since 2014 have supported over 45 women and professionals from underrepresented groups in attending events like TechEX, funded by partners including and . Additional programs, including collaborations with the Minority Serving Cyberinfrastructure Consortium (MS-CC), provide scholarships and training for IT professionals at minority-serving institutions, broadening participation in networking.

Leadership and Board of Trustees

Internet2 is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of 11 elected members and 3 to 5 appointed members, representing university presidents/chancellors, chief information officers, researchers, research and education network leaders, and industry executives. The board provides strategic oversight and fiduciary responsibility for the organization, with elections conducted by representatives from member institutions and appointments made to ensure diverse expertise. The board operates through several standing committees to support its functions, including the Audit and Finance Committee, which assists in fulfilling fiduciary duties by recommending independent auditors, reviewing , and evaluating practices; the Executive Committee, which exercises board powers during intervals between full meetings; and the Compensation Committee, which reviews compensation for executive leaders. These committees, chaired by board officers such as the current Chair Gregory Washington and Vice Chair Cynthia K. Larive, ensure focused attention on key areas like financial integrity and . At the executive level, Internet2 is led by a President and CEO who manages day-to-day operations and implements board-directed strategies. Tripti was appointed as President and CEO effective October 15, 2025, succeeding Howard Pfeffer, bringing over 30 years of experience in cyberinfrastructure, , and higher education IT leadership from roles at the University of Maryland and Mid-Atlantic Crossroads. In November 2024, the board welcomed four newly elected trustees—Santa Ono (President, University of Michigan), Tripti Sinha (Assistant VP & CTO, University of Maryland/Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Crossroads), Deborah Dent (CIO, Jackson State University, re-elected), and Melissa Loble (Chief Academic Officer, Instructure, re-elected)—each serving three-year terms beginning November 1, 2024. Four trustees were also appointed: Ewa Deelman (Research Professor, USC Information Sciences Institute, term July 30, 2024–October 31, 2026), Derek Masseth (Executive Director, Sun Corridor Network, term November 1, 2024–October 31, 2027), Mary Lou D. Ortiz (CFO & Vice Chancellor, UC Irvine, term July 30, 2024–October 31, 2025), and Satish K. Tripathi (President, University at Buffalo, term November 7, 2024–November 13, 2025). The board influences policy through Internet2's government relations program, which compiles monthly updates on federal developments affecting research and education networking. In 2024–2025, these efforts highlighted advocacy for federal funding, such as the House Appropriations Committee's proposed FY 2025 Commerce, Justice, and Science bill allocating $9.25 billion to the (a 2% increase) and $56.5 million to the (a 4% cut), alongside AI policy advancements like the AI Working Group's May 2024 report recommending $32 billion annually for AI research and expansion of the pilot.

Network Infrastructure

Core Network Architecture

The core network architecture of Internet2 is a that integrates packet-switched with wavelength-switched optical circuits, enabling dynamic for high-bandwidth, low-latency data transfers essential for and applications. This design leverages a layered approach where the optical layer provides high-capacity up to 32 terabits per segment, while the packet layer handles flexible at speeds of 400-800 Gbps per , supporting both dedicated circuits and on-demand IP flows. The architecture emphasizes and software-driven control to optimize performance, reducing operational complexity and power consumption by up to 70% through efficient hardware like power-optimized optical amplifiers and routers. The backbone spans over 16,000 miles of single-mode ultra in a dense-mesh , connecting key nodes across major U.S. regions including the Northeast (e.g., ), Midwest (e.g., , ), South (e.g., , ), and West (e.g., , ). This configuration ensures redundant, high-capacity paths with 400 Gbps links forming the primary interconnects, such as multiple high-capacity 400 Gbps circuits linking numerous packet nodes nationwide, with ongoing expansions including additional core nodes added in February 2025 in and further augmentations to support the North America Research and Exchange (NA-REX) program in September 2025. Exchange points facilitate regional aggregation and peering; for instance, the Manhattan Landing (MAN-LAN) in New York was upgraded to 400 Gbps switching capacity in 2024 to handle increased transatlantic and domestic traffic. Internet2's infrastructure supports advanced protocols including full for future-proof addressing, MPLS for traffic engineering and quality-of-service guarantees, and (SDN) for programmable bandwidth management and agile provisioning. SDN integration, part of the Next Generation Infrastructure (NGI), allows for software-orchestrated control of optical and packet elements, enabling rapid reconfiguration of resources without manual intervention. These technologies collectively provide flexible, scalable connectivity, with port capacities reaching 8-16 petabits per second at core locations. Security is embedded in the core design through baseline expectations for DDoS protection and continuous monitoring, delivered via the NET+ DDoS Mitigation Service—a cloud-based, volumetric solution procured community-wide to scrub malicious traffic before it impacts the network. This includes real-time threat detection and automated mitigation, complemented by routing integrity tools that provide assessment and reporting to safeguard against hijacks and anomalies. Monitoring extends to performance analytics across national and international paths, ensuring proactive identification of issues. Global integration occurs through peering agreements with over 70 national and networks in more than 100 countries, facilitated by initiatives like the Research and Education Exchange (NA-REX). These connections emphasize low-latency paths via dedicated 100G and 400G circuits to regions such as (via Advanced North Atlantic), Asia-Pacific (via multiple trans-oceanic links), and beyond, supporting data-intensive international collaborations without commercial detours.

Key Services and Technologies

Internet2 provides a suite of operational services and technologies that enhance collaboration, security, and performance for research and education (R&E) communities. These include identity management solutions, cloud integrations, monitoring tools, advanced networking capabilities, and platforms for resource sharing, all designed to support high-speed, secure data exchange and innovation. Identity and access management is facilitated through the InCommon Federation, a community-driven infrastructure that enables (SSO) for secure, trusted access across participating institutions, streamlining inter-organizational collaboration in R&E settings. Complementing this, eduroam offers authenticated global roaming for access, allowing seamless connectivity with SSO capabilities across more than 100 countries for researchers and educators. The NET+ program delivers vetted services optimized for R&E needs, featuring pre-negotiated contracts, competitive pricing, and peer collaboration to accelerate adoption while managing risks in areas like and integration. Notable offerings include NET+ Portkey, an AI gateway service launched in July 2025 to provide secure, scalable access to AI resources for the R&E . Additionally, integrations with support collaboration and productivity through community discounts and access to initiatives like NIH STRIDES, without requiring spending commitments. For network performance, Internet2 leverages perfSONAR, an open-source collaboration tool for end-to-end monitoring and troubleshooting of multi-domain paths, which has become a cornerstone for R&E networks over its 20-year history since 2005. This tool, co-developed by Internet2 and partners like ESnet and GEANT, enables engineers to identify issues quickly across national and international connections. Internet2 supports advanced technologies such as AI-driven networking, where community engagement explores AI analytics to augment and staffing efficiency as part of its 2024-2025 infrastructure roadmap. Hybrid cloud connectivity initiatives, including services like Cloud Connect and Rapid Private Interconnect, provide high-performance access to multiple cloud environments, reflecting 2024 NET+ milestones in expanding secure, flexible solutions. Community platforms for resource sharing are exemplified by the National Research Platform (NRP), which Internet2 supports with networking and to enable transparent, rapid access to resources and gather R&E requirements for broader innovation. These platforms facilitate collaborative projects, such as AI in higher education.

Objectives and Goals

Primary Missions

Internet2's primary missions center on the development and deployment of advanced networking technologies to enable high-speed, reliable transfer tailored for academic and environments. The organization operates a secure, high-performance national network that supports petabit-scale flows, facilitating the transfer of massive datasets essential for scientific and collaborative across U.S. higher education institutions. This infrastructure emphasizes next-generation capabilities, such as 400G optical transport and , to meet the evolving demands of academia without the constraints of commercial limitations. A core objective is to foster among researchers, educators, industry partners, and entities to drive in disciplines including , , and . Through its membership model, Internet2 enables the of customized services and tools that address shared challenges, allowing institutions to achieve advancements collectively that would be infeasible individually. This collaborative framework extends to over 250 higher education members and hundreds of research participants, promoting interdisciplinary exchanges and resource sharing to accelerate discoveries in fields like astronomy, , and climate modeling. Internet2 promotes secure, identity-managed access to shared digital resources, exemplified by the InCommon Federation's Baseline Expectations for Trust in Federation, which were adopted in to enhance and cybersecurity. These expectations establish minimum standards for identity providers and service operators, including multi-factor authentication and , ensuring trusted access to cloud services and research data across the community. By prioritizing and secure , Internet2 reduces barriers to frictionless collaboration while mitigating risks in distributed academic environments. To bolster U.S. leadership in global networking, Internet2 cultivates international partnerships that connect domestic researchers to worldwide infrastructures and peers. These alliances provide direct peering with global research networks, enabling seamless data exchange and joint projects that amplify American contributions to international initiatives. Equitable access remains a foundational aim, with targeted efforts to include diverse institutions such as (HBCUs) and community colleges in high-performance networking. Internet2's grant programs and small institution solutions offer subsidized connectivity and resources, ensuring historically underserved entities can participate fully in advanced and opportunities.

Strategic Initiatives and Roadmap

Internet2's Five-Year Roadmap, shaped by extensive community input gathered in 2022 and 2023 from over 125 participants across 19 working groups and more than 300 event attendees, outlines strategic priorities to enhance services for research and education. Updated in October 2024, the roadmap emphasizes innovation and transformation, infrastructure improvements, and community convening to address evolving needs in advanced networking. Key focus areas include targeted artificial intelligence offerings to support institutional challenges in AI-driven research, alongside expanded cloud adoption through the Cloud Connect service, which now reaches seven interconnect locations and the full R&E Participant Institution (RPI) network for optimized hybrid environments. Enhanced cybersecurity measures prioritize security, compliance, and risk management tailored to research workflows, with ongoing development of working groups for open science and big data. Commitments to sustainability feature efforts toward energy-efficient networking to reduce the carbon footprint of the infrastructure, as highlighted in community initiatives like Earth Day engagements. Additionally, diversity in tech leadership is promoted through programs such as the Inclusivity (I2I) Scholarships, which in 2024 awarded opportunities to women and underrepresented groups in IT, and presentations emphasizing diverse backgrounds for innovation. In 2025, Internet2 continued these advancements with a major Cloud Scorecard update in January, achieving 400 Gbps transmission over 3000 km in March with Cisco, and outlining six key network infrastructure updates in September to enhance sustainability and performance. Government advocacy forms a core element, with Internet2's Government Relations program actively engaging on federal funding and policy, including monitoring NSF grants for AI research—such as the $140 million in 2020 over five years for AI at select universities—and participating in AI policy discussions like the Senate AI report and NSF's Federal AI Resource Pilot launched in 2024. Success metrics include exceeding 80% adherence to InCommon Baseline Expectations standards by December 2021, with ongoing expansions in international connectivity and service optimizations to measure progress toward full integration. The Board of Trustees provides oversight to align these initiatives with broader organizational goals.

Achievements and Innovations

Historical Milestones

Internet2 was founded in by a of 34 leading U.S. universities, initially under the auspices of EDUCOM (later ), to develop advanced network applications and technologies for and beyond the capabilities of the commercial internet. This effort built on earlier NSF initiatives, such as the vBNS network, to create a high-performance backbone for collaborative scientific work. In the 2000s, Internet2 enabled pioneering applications in high-definition video conferencing and , leveraging its high-speed infrastructure to support immersive collaborations among distant researchers. A notable demonstration occurred in , when NTT streamed super high-definition video from the Midwest to the West Coast over the Internet2 Abilene backbone, facilitating real-time visual data sharing for scientific and artistic projects. These advancements marked early breakthroughs in bandwidth-intensive multimedia, enhancing remote interactions in fields like telemedicine and virtual environments. The organization launched the InCommon Federation in 2004 to address identity and access management challenges, providing a secure framework for across institutions using standards like . By 2010, the federation had grown to serve over 5 million end-users, including faculty, staff, and students at 259 participating organizations, streamlining authentication for shared resources. From 2006 to 2011, Internet2 ran the IDEA (Internet2 Driving Exemplary Applications) Awards program to recognize innovative network applications developed by its community, highlighting projects that pushed technological boundaries. The program annually honored exemplary uses, such as virtual laboratories that enabled remote experimentation and collaborative simulations, fostering adoption of advanced networking in and . Internet2 contributed significantly to U.S. national cyberinfrastructure through partnerships, including integration with the NSF-supported National Lambda Rail (NLR) starting in the mid-2000s, which expanded dedicated optical circuits for high-capacity data transport. This collaboration created a hybrid environment combining Internet2's IP services with NLR's capabilities, supporting dynamic provisioning for large-scale scientific workflows. A major milestone came in 2012 with the deployment of the nation's first open, nationwide 100 Gbps software-defined network, in partnership with entities like ESnet, quadrupling previous capacities and enabling unprecedented data transfers. This upgrade accelerated data sharing in areas like , where full datasets could be transferred rapidly for analysis, and modeling, supporting petabyte-scale simulations and multi-site collaborations. These pre-2020 achievements laid the groundwork for subsequent high-performance networking initiatives.

Recent Developments and Projects

In 2021, the InCommon , managed by Internet2, achieved significant milestones in identity and access management, particularly with the adoption of Baseline Expectations for Trust in Federation Version 2, which was embraced by the community in 2020 and surpassed 80% compliance by December 2021, enhancing and interoperability across participating institutions. The Internet2 NET+ program advanced cloud collaboration tools in 2022 when its Google for Education evaluation team received the 2021 National Cloud Leadership Award from the Cloud Standards Customer Council, recognizing their rigorous assessment of , identity, , and functionality that facilitated safer adoption of the platform by higher education members. Internet2's annual reviews from 2020 to 2023 highlighted sustained growth in cybersecurity and research infrastructure services, including the expansion of the DDoS Volumetric Mitigation Service, which transitioned successfully and saw increased adoption to protect against rising threats, procured through community negotiations with Radware for cloud-based scrubbing of up to 1 Gbps per subscriber. Ongoing support for the Grid (OSG) during this period involved providing high-throughput network connectivity and hosting additional domestic caches—five new ones added in 2022—to enable for data-intensive scientific projects funded by the . In March 2024, Internet2 collaborated with CANARIE, ESnet, and GÉANT to deploy three 400 Gbps spectrum circuits across the Atlantic, connecting exchange points in the U.S., U.K., and via the Amitié and Havfrue submarine cables, marking the highest-capacity dedicated transoceanic links for research and education and boosting global data transfer for collaborative experiments. The 2024 updates to Internet2's five-year roadmap emphasized AI and integration to address emerging needs in research and education, including targeted offerings for generative AI governance and expanded NET+ capabilities; this aligned with strategic initiatives by launching the NET+ Portkey AI Gateway service in July 2025 following community-driven evaluations, providing centralized access controls, budgeting, guardrails, and audit logs for scalable AI model usage. In October 2025, Internet2 and launched the + Education Leadership Program, a community-driven initiative involving ten universities to accelerate responsible AI adoption in higher education. The program provides structured training, evaluations, and resources to integrate AI into teaching, research, and operations, addressing barriers to equitable access and fostering innovation as of October 22, 2025.

Applications and Impact

Research and Education Uses

Internet2's high-performance network has been instrumental in supporting data-intensive research, particularly in fields requiring the transfer and real-time collaboration on massive datasets. For instance, in astronomy, Internet2 facilitates the transport of data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) project through partnerships with networks like AmLight and AtlanticWave, enabling efficient movement of petabyte-scale images and simulations to U.S. research centers such as the (NCSA). In , the network supports applications like and teleconsultation by providing the high-speed, low-latency connections necessary for transmitting high-resolution scans and enabling remote diagnostics across international collaborations. Educational applications have leveraged Internet2's bandwidth to enhance remote learning and immersive experiences. During the shift to online education, the network enabled seamless access to cloud-based platforms for streaming video and collaborative tools, supporting virtual classrooms for thousands of users without performance degradation. High-bandwidth capabilities have also powered simulations, allowing students in disciplines like and to engage in interactive, real-time environments such as tele-immersion setups for collaborative design and training. Resource sharing is advanced through initiatives like the National Research Platform (NRP), where Internet2 provides networking and support to enable workflows, allowing researchers to access shared resources and datasets across institutions for tasks like simulations and analysis. This infrastructure impacts campus networks by offering hybrid access to over 1,000 institutions and organizations via dedicated connections to providers like AWS, , and Azure, integrating on-premises systems with services for scalable research computing. Case studies highlight practical outcomes, such as enhanced during the 2020-2021 , where Internet2's regional partners like MCNC delivered high-speed connectivity for virtual consultations and hotspots, ensuring secure, reliable access for healthcare providers amid surging demand. Similarly, for AI training, Internet2 supports the transfer of large datasets using tools like , which enable high-performance, automated workflows to move terabytes of data between research sites, accelerating model training in fields like climate modeling and .

Awards and Recognitions

Internet2's Driving Exemplary Applications (IDEA) Awards, launched in 2006, annually recognized innovative applications leveraging advanced networking capabilities within the and community through 2011. Notable recipients included projects utilizing video conferencing tools for enhanced collaboration and initiatives that facilitated large-scale data processing across distributed resources. These awards highlighted applications that demonstrated the potential of high-performance networks to drive educational and advancements. In 2022, the Internet2 NET+ Google Workspace for Education service evaluation team received the National Cloud Leadership Award as Overall Winner from E&I Cooperative Services, acknowledging their leadership in evaluating and deploying cloud services for the research and education sector. The InCommon federation, a key Internet2 trust and identity service, earned recognition through the 2021 induction of Kenneth Klingenstein, Internet2's evangelist for trust and identity, into the Internet Hall of Fame for his pioneering contributions to identity management standards and federated authentication practices. This honor underscored InCommon's role in advancing secure, interoperable identity solutions across global research communities. In 2024, Internet2's collaboration with ESnet, CANARIE, and GÉANT on the Advanced North Atlantic (ANA) initiative was recognized for achieving unprecedented transatlantic network capacity, adding three 400 Gbps circuits to reach a combined 2.4 Tbps, supporting data-intensive international research collaborations. In 2025, Jack Suess of the (UMBC) received the Cloud Superhero Award from Internet2's NET+ program for his visionary leadership in advancing cloud adoption in higher education, including evaluation and deployment of secure cloud solutions that enhance and educational .

References

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