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Emblem Sub Level Logo Australia Deploys Next Gen Network Over Dark Fiber
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January 27, 2004

ARNet has Chosen Procket Network’s Pro/8000 Series Routers to Equip its New National Optical Network

In a deal finalized on Christmas Eve AARNet acquired dark fiber across Australia for 15 years. Initially these fibers will provide 10Gbps across the country but the AARNet3 design will be capable of driving speeds of 40Gbps and beyond.

The new national network will link seamlessly to the recently announced dual 10Gbps SXTransPORT (Trans-Pacific Optical Research Testbed), allowing Australian researchers to collaborate effectively in emerging e-science initiatives that will form the basis of future scientific research.

In order to realize this new network AARNet needed new backbone, carrier-class routers and despite strong competition from the traditional high-end backbone router vendors, Cisco and Juniper, AARNet has selected relative newcomer Procket Networks of Milpitas, California, as the supplier of backbone routers to underpin the next generation of AARNet.

“We believe that Procket Networks delivers the price performance we need for a high capacity network with the scalability to meet the future needs of research and education in Australia. After a thorough technical and cost of ownership evaluation of the core router vendors we selected the PRO/8000 platform as it offered AARNet headroom in terms of scale, future service growth and cost of ownership,” said Mary Fleming, Director of Business Development, AARNet.

AARNet has a reputation of being at the forefront of network design and innovation and the new Procket routers will allow AARNet to continue to deliver existing and emerging advanced services to its clients, Australia’s universities and research organizations.

Mark Prior, AARNet’s Network Architect said, “Procket’s PRO/8812 routers will provide AARNet with the opportunity to equip our new network with a next generation of routers which have been designed from the ground up with a truly modular operating system that enhances the robustness of the network and improves reliability and availability.”

High-end scientific instruments are now so expensive to build, or require such a unique environment or location, that there will only ever be a small number of these around the world. The ability to access these instruments, or the massive amount of data that they generate, is critical to the future of research. The way that researchers around the world are exploiting these new opportunities is by connecting up these instrument and data repositories by very high capacity networks.

AARNet3, based on NextGen Fiber, SXTransPORT dual 10Gbps international connectivity and with its Australian backbone network powered by 12 high end Procket routers, will put Australia’s cyber infrastructure up with the world’s best, ready for our researchers to exploit.

About AARNet
AARNet Pty Ltd (APL) is the company that operates Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet). APL is a not-for-profit company whose shareholders are 37 Australian universities and the CSIRO. APL is a licensed Australian carrier (No 61 under the Australian Telecommunications Act 1997).

APL provides high-capacity leading-edge Internet services for the tertiary education and research sector communities and their research partners. AARNet serves over 800,000 end users who access the network through local area networks at member institutions.

AARNet is recognized internationally as Australia’s National Research and Education Network and is represented on the International Committee of the Board of Internet2, the Coordinating Committee for Intercontinental Research Networking, the International Task Force on Advanced Networks, and the Asia Pacific Advanced Network Backbone Committee. It is engaged with the European Commission on research networking and the support for e-science.

APL is working closely with the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST - www.dest.gov.au) to facilitate the deployment of the Commonwealth Government’s Australian Research and Education Network (AREN) initiative.

About Procket Networks
Procket Networks, Inc. offers a range of intelligent IP networking technology and platforms to help customers realize maximum reliability and profitability from their converged networks. Designed and built completely new from the ground up, our products combine the industry’s most advanced software and network processor technologies with true innovations in customer support. See: www.procket.com or contact Procket Networks at +1 408 635 7900.

Contact:
Mark Prior
Network Architect, AARNet
mark.prior @ aarnet.edu.au

Mary Fleming
Director, Business Development, AARNet
mary.fleming @ aarnet.edu.au

Rich Farana
Procket Networks, Public Relations
rich.farana @ procket.com

Published by:
George McLaughlin
AARNet
nquiries @ aarnet.edu.au


Copyright © AARNet Pty Ltd, 2003. Unlimited rights are granted to AARNet member institutions.