Internet2® and SEGP

About Internet2®

Internet2® is a research and development consortium led by over 200 US universities working in partnership with industry and government to develop and deploy advanced network applications and technologies, accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet. Internet2® is recreating the partnership among academia, industry and government that fostered today's Internet in its infancy. The Internet2® community is:

• enabling a new generation of network applications,
• creating a leading edge network capability for research and education, and
• fostering the transfer of technology and experience to the global Internet

In addition to university members, the Internet2® community includes over 70 companies and more than 40 affiliated organizations, including US government research laboratories. Internet2® members are working with more than 30 other similar research and education networking organizations in countries around the world. Supported by a core central staff, Internet2® activities are member focused and led. Internet2® members work in concert with national, state and regional initiatives in the United States, and are coordinated with international organizations such as the Internet Engineering Task Force.

Internet2® operates a nation-wide 10G (Gigabits per second) network called Abilene. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus is connected to Abilene at 400 Mbps (Megabits per second) via connector SOX in Atlanta. For more information visit the Internet2® website.

About SEGP

The SEGP program is intended to allow expanded access to Abilene for state and regional education networks, through sponsorship by Internet2® university members. State and regional networks may include nonprofit and for-profit K-20 educational institutions, museums, libraries, art galleries, or hospitals that require routine collaboration on instructional, clinical and/or research projects, services and content with Internet2® members or with other sponsored participants. The program began in early 2001 and, as of March 2006, there are thirty-six state K20 networks participating. Tennessee has become 37th state to join the SEGP program.

The Tennessee SEGP has been sponsored by the University of Tennessee and the University of Memphis. Below are links to documents submitted to Internet2® as a part of the TN SEGP application. They provide more insight into what are the connection possibilities for qualifying institutions to connect to the Abilene network.

• Tennessee SEGP Application (Cover)
• Tennessee SEGP Application (Exhibit A)

For more information regarding SEGP program or connectivity options please contact the OIT Help Desk at 865-974-9900.