DeKALB | Since the beginning of the semester, students have had access to an ultra-fast network that connects them to the Internet at speeds exponentially faster than broadband.

“Students are actually using Internet2 right now,” said David Gunkel, associate professor of communication.

Internet2 is a new network which consists of over 200 universities, research teams, art institutes and international partners. This network allows students to access a diverse fountain of information. Whenever a student uses NIU computers to connect to another Web site on the Internet2 network, they are switched over to a connection that exchanges data at close to 40 megabytes per second.

Since March, NIU created numerous projects to implement this high-speed network across campus.

“Many projects [involve] health and mental health services,” said Robert Brookey, associate professor of communication. Applications range from connecting and aiding research teams across the globe to transmitting and storing medical data.

Of particular use for students will be Access Grid, a system employing large-screen monitors and surround-sound speakers for worldwide, real-time gatherings. Gunkel says a problem with textbooks is that by the time you get them, it’s already been five or six years since the research has been done.

With an Internet2 connection through Access Grid, students can cut out the textbook entirely and instead watch live as ground-breaking research happens right in front of them. With the speed of Internet2, students can watch in high definition from hundreds of miles away at the same time as students on the other side of the world.

Some may start experiencing this sooner than later.

“Within a semester or two we will have pilot projects testing out and interfacing with Access Grid,” Gunkel said.

Although Brookey said he was unable to discuss the exact nature of the projects, he said Internet2 is primarily “to accommodate research and education.” For all its speed, Internet2 is not designed to help get movie listings or download music any faster, and disciplinary action against users that do has been severe.

In 2005, the RIAA sued the operators of three university-based file-swapping networks, debunking the myth that the relatively small Internet2 network was safe from monitoring. In fact, its small size makes it much easier to keep track of users.

Tom Scherschel is a Campus Reporter for the

Northern Star.