GlobalX links SURFnet

Fiber Optics Weekly Update, June 13, 2003

Global Crossing announced it has won a contract to provide the Netherlands national research network SURFnet with a key 10 Gbps lambda connection between the Dutch optical infrastructure NetherLight and the StarLight research facility in Chicago.

Planned to go live in July, the capacity will be used for TransLight, a global experimental networking initiative that supports e-science applications, and will also provide a high-performance network connecting national research networks in the United Stated and Canada to the GEANT network in Europe. GEANT connects more than 3,000 universities, research and educational institutions in 32 countries. TransLight will enable e-scientists and grid researchers to experiment with moving huge amounts of data and support real-time collaboration with high-resolution visualization using dedicated circuits. Lambda networking (also called "light path switching") uses the technology and services surrounding multiple optical wavelengths (known as lambdas) to provide independent communications channels along a strand of optical fiber. It provides scalable speeds up to 10 Gbps, lowers the costs of high capacity circuits, and directly interfaces with high-speed LAN technologies. By using lambdas, research and educational inst itutions are able to better concentrate on applications with the assurance of world-class network management handled by Global Crossing.