Super SINET
Further Information
Super SINET is a dedicated optical network for research, run by Japan's National Institute of Informatics (NII). Its 10 Gbps backbone interconnects some fifteen universities and research institutes, which are connected to the backbone via individual 1 Gbps links. It is part of the SINET (Science Information Network) Internet backbone, which links some 750 Japanese organizations at 600 Mbps.
Super SINET is used mainly for research applications requiring massive file transfers, such as those involved in processing genetic information, distributed computing, high-energy physics and cosmology. It is also a testbed for new 10 Gigabit Ethernet technologies, for which the commercial standard was finalized in Spring 2002. Super SINET is linked to the main American research networks at 870 Mbps and to the British UKnet at 75 Mbps.
The network's infrastructure is provided by Japan Telecom. Super SINET also uses optical cross-connects because of their great potential. The NII plans to fit Super SINET with level 2 and 3 switches and other intelligent systems capable of managing throughputs up to 10 Gbps.