Advances in optical networking technology and opportunities to acquire the fundamental building blocks of wide-area network infrastructure are providing the Internet2 community with the ability to meet emerging demands of the most advanced network applications. Beyond an evolution of the abilities found in today's Internet, optical networking holds the promise of fundamentally new network architectures and services. To explore these possibilities, Internet2 has established the Hybrid Optical and Packet Infrastructure (HOPI) initiative, which brings together networking leaders from academia, industry, and government to examine coherent and scalable architectures for next generation networks. Internet2 is also encouraging the deployment of a national fiber optic infrastructure through contributions to National LambdaRail and promoting regional fiber optical networking initiatives through FiberCo®, which provides a means for acquiring, holding, and distributing fiber optic network assets dedicated to research and higher education. Internet2 also encourages international optical networking links through the Manhattan Landing (MAN LAN) facility.