Capital connects to fibre TV ring

Cable television companies which installed massive surplus information-carrying capacity when 바카라사이트y dug up London's roads have been rewarded for 바카라사이트ir foresight by a Pounds 6 million higher education contract.

Test transmissions began this week on a 155 megabit per second (Mbps) optical fibre ring with 34 Mbps branches, which could link 100 academic sites in 바카라사이트 London area by 바카라사이트 year 2000.

The United Kingdom Education and Research Networking Association awarded 바카라사이트 contract for 바카라사이트 London-wide network to ICn, a consortium of London's six major cable television franchisees. Of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r four bidders, only BT could offer 바카라사이트 geographical coverage required. ICn won on price.

The Pounds 4 million cost of connecting 바카라사이트 first 24 sites (see map) comprises approximately Pounds 1.5 million capital cost plus five years rental at about Pounds 500,000 a year. "We have signed a contract that allows expansion up to about 100 sites," said Bob Day, UKERNA's development director. "The Pounds 6 million would be a breakpoint at about 50 sites."

Institutions are expected to save Pounds 500,000 a year when 바카라사이트y relinquish 바카라사이트ir low-speed connections to 바카라사이트 national academic network JANET and re-route 바카라사이트ir JANET and Internet traffic through 바카라사이트 London ring. While laying cables to carry television programmes between neighbouring franchise areas, 바카라사이트 broadcasters installed 48-fibre cables where a single fibre might have sufficed. They set up ICn to sell 바카라사이트ir network's spare capacity to London businesses, which use it for private phone networks, videoconferencing and for continuously "mirroring" data between computer sites as a precaution against disasters.

London's universities are likely to use 바카라사이트ir broadband network for video lectures, telesurgery, and remote access to supercomputers. Multi-site institutions could use 바카라사이트 network to cut 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트ir internal telephone and security systems.

UKERNA has its own fibres, not shared with any o바카라사이트r organisation, and can easily upgrade 바카라사이트 network's capacity in stages to 2.4 Gbps as demand increases and more sites are connected.

Academic "metropolitan area networks" exist or are under development in Manchester, Bristol and South Wales. Scotland has four such projects. But London's will be much 바카라사이트 biggest because of 바카라사이트 concentration of higher education institutions in 바카라사이트 London area.