vBNS (NETS notes)

vBNS stands for very high-speed Backbone Network System. The vBNS is a high-speed replacement for the NSFnet, which was absorbed into the Internet. As of July 1996, the vBNS was an ATM network running at 155mbps, with plans to upgrade to 622mbps. It is dedicated to research traffic between supercomputer centers only. It is a test bed that provides communications between supercomputing centers (or other special sites, such as CU) across the nation. It is sponsored by the NSF and managed by MCI.

Several Web pages describe the vBNS in detail. See MCI's vBNS Web pages or the vBNS Collaboration home page.

Pete Siemsen

Last modified: Wed Dec 24 09:56:35 MST 2003