Nortel throws weight behind Internet2

NEWS Nortel has announced plans to donate $600,000 towards the Internet2 research project. The project - initiated in 1996 - is currently exploring new technologies and applications which could help to form a faster Internet infrastructure. It is being developed mainly for the academic community in the US but has been attracting the attention of Nortel and other IT vendors, including IBM and Cisco. Peter Boland, vice president of Nortel's Webtone business development, said: "At the moment the Internet is wildwest-style cheap and dirty, which won't satisfy businesses. Nortel is working towards an Internet model based on the quality you get on a telephone network, and Internet2 is one of the ways to achieve this." The money will go towards research undertaken at the Communcation & Network Services (CNS) organisation at the University of California. But Boland said Internet2 isn't the only route to a more reliable Internet. "Bandwidth particularly in Europe needs to be made far cheaper like it is in the US," he said. He also identified other models, including virtual business networks and variable quality services for businesses, which will improve the Internet as a business tool. Internet2 received the backing of US vice president, Al Gore, in April.