In addition to the advanced network circuit-based services, the new Internet2 Network will embrace a number of other services that are intended to add value to the connectors.

Higher Networking Speeds: The Infinera platform that the new network will use has several forward looking advantages including the ability to support new and higher networking speeds. A platform that scales to 40Gbps per interface and potentially higher is anticipated, representing a four-fold increase to the current interface speed.

Connection to the Commercial Internet: In order to assist Internet2 members financially and to reduce management complexity and overhead, the new network will offer connectivity to the commercial Internet that may utilize the same connections used by the members to connect to the new Internet2 Network. Due to the capacity and nature of the network, it will be possible to offer research traffic an unimpeded facility and allow for commercial traffic to flow over the same infrastructure.

Dedicated Wavelengths: In addition to waves across the Internet2 Network footprint, WaveCo will work with Internet2’s carrier-partner, Level 3 Communications, to provision circuits – optical carrier and digital signal – for regional networks and other Internet2 participants needing to cost-effectively extend their connectivity anywhere on the Level 3 optical network. Through Internet2’s agreement with the carrier, the “off-net” service will have the advantage of aggregated rates. This is especially cost-efficient for regional networks that wish to extend their reach for only a few connectors with varying demands for circuit capacity or duration. Providing dedicated optical waves, as well as fiber (FiberCo), will support community control of fundamental networking infrastructure, and will enable a wide variety of bandwidth-intensive applications under development at campuses and research labs today. 

Access to Dark Fiber: Internet2, through the establishment of FiberCo, has placed over 13,000 miles of dark fiber in the hands of the U.S. research and education community and helped facilitate the placement of another 10,000 miles. Through the agreement with Level 3, dark fiber, collocation, and remote hands services will continue to be offered to the community at competitive rates.

Professional Services: FiberCo is making available a suite of professional services that range from consulting on fiber availability and acquisition, to outsourced network operation center (NOC) services, equipment procurement, testing and deployment, and asset tracking.  The effort to provide these supporting services is undertaken to strengthen and facilitate the success of the RONs operating across the United States.

Voice over IP (VoIP): This technology has the ability to dramatically reduce operational expenses related to telephone service and can add a significant number of features that are not possible, or very difficult and expensive to implement, under the current telephony model. By leveraging the strengths of the Level 3 carrier partnership, Internet2 will be able to offer VoIP transit services at the highest level of reliability.

Disaster Recovery: Vulnerability to and devastation from natural and man-made disasters reveal the need for geographically distributed facilities that can provide the restoration and resumption of critical services. The new Internet2 Network, with its multiple high-speed links and presence in distributed carrier collocation facilities, will provide easy access to geographically diverse sites that can be utilized for disaster recovery.