FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas will bring the world closer to Arkansas next month when it connects to the very high performance Backbone Network Service (vBNS), the next generation of high-speed Internet.

The U of A joins 127 other universities awarded National Science Foundation grants to connect to the network and holds the only grant awarded in Arkansas.

The high-speed network will change how UA researchers interact with their colleagues around the globe.

"The network has the capability to make the distance between them irrelevant," said Robert Zimmerman, director of University IT Services. "It's just as if they're all in the same room."

The University will connect the vBNS to Little Rock, and from there to other state institutions, Zimmerman said.

"We will bring these resources to the entire state," he said.
Research units like the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) will have the technology to handle enormous data sets more efficiently, CAST director Fred Limp said. Satellite data from NASA, which now takes two to three hours to download, will take only seconds on the vBNS. This will mean state agencies that rely on CAST for geographical satellite information will have faster access to what they need.

The statewide connection will allow CAST and other UA research facilities to send data on geography, land use and boundaries - among other things - quickly to state agencies, counties and cities. State agencies use CAST data to help farmers and develop better land-management policies.

The University of Arkansas earned the NSF award because its research capabilities require links to institutions worldwide, Zimmerman said. Nationwide grants to allow vBNS connections are made on the basis of scientific and technical merit.

Examples of UA research that will benefit from the new Internet include protein studies, molecular genetics, archeological studies and quantum chemistry.

The high-performance network also will revolutionize distance education, which traditionally has required long-distance students to attend classes in a specific place at a specific time. With the new technology and the right computer equipment, students located anywhere in the state and nation could link up from their desks, Zimmerman said.

The vBNS, a collaboration between the federal government and MCI Telecommunications Corp., should always be several steps ahead of commercial networking. As the new technology improves, it will help develop the commercial network in Arkansas, Zimmerman said.

"Everyone in the state of Arkansas will benefit from this," he said.

Visit www.internet2.edu to learn more about the vBNS.