University of Hawai’i: Bridging Oceans to Advance Global Connectivity
Geographically isolated with 10 campuses spread across six islands, the University of Hawai’i (UH) System faced some unique challenges when initially engaging in advanced networking initiatives. When Internet2 began, UH entered into a partnership with the Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) to share one of the few 45 megabit-per-second links available to the U.S. mainland. During 2004, UH advanced its key role in bridging advanced networking communities in North America, Australia, and Asia, and finalized a set of activities to establish 10 gigabit per second (Gbps) connections between Hawaii and the mainland.
Chief Information Officer
University of Hawai’i
and Internet2 Applications Strategy Council Chair
In January 2004, UH hosted TIP2004, the second "Techs in Paradise" event, a joint meeting of APAN (Asia-Pacific Advanced Network, an Internet2 international partner) and the Internet2/ESCC Joint Techs Workshop. TIP2004 brought together over 300 networking engineers, architects and technical support personnel, and included a UH first light demonstration of a direct 155 megabit per second connection between Hawaii and the APAN hub in Japan. The link was used for high-definition streaming video, Digital Video Transport System (DVTS) sessions, and wireless remote car demonstrations from Japan and Korea.
Through participation in the Internet2 SIP.edu program, and with the support of Cisco Systems, UH is exploring the integration of voice, video and instant messaging in the delivery of new campus-wide services. This experience built on UH’s pioneering use of IP communications technologies; in 2002 UH converted its entire statewide distance learning network from analog video to use MPEG-2 over IP multicast in order to serve thousands of students at 25 sites on six islands.
UH joined the NIH-funded Lariat Project during 2004, an effort by Montana State University and the Pacific NorthWest Gigapop to enhance networking capabilities for biomedical research. UH also achieved another networking milestone by becoming a participant in a National Science Foundation International Research Network Connection (IRNC) award, which provides funding for network connections linking U.S. research networks with peer networks in other parts of the world. The IRNC award to the University of Southern California will enable UH, the University of Southern California, and the Pacific NorthWest Gigapop in Seattle to link to dual 10 Gbps circuits connecting Australia, Hawai’i, and North America. Some of the key scientific resources in Hawai’i that will be made available to the global research community include the astronomical observatories on the 14,000-foot summit of Mauna Kea.