NSF Grants Support Next-Generation Internet

  • 08/01/97

The National Science Foundation will provide $12.3 million to 35 research institutions across the United States to allow them to connect to the Backbone Network Service (vBNS), dubbed the "next-generation Internet." These grants will bring to 64 the total number of institutions connected to vBNS.

The Clinton Administration's Next Generation Internet (NGI) is a three-year, $300 million project that aims to: connect more than 100 research institutions to a high-speed network; invest in the research and development of advanced networking technologies; and demonstrate new applications in areas such as distance education, telemedicine and "collaboratories," laboratories without walls.

"Previous government investments in research networks, such as the ARPANET and the NSFNET, have produced huge payoffs for our economy and our society," said Vice President Al Gore. "The Next Generation Internet Initiative is a critical investment in our future, and will serve as a catalyst for the new networks and networked applications of the 21st century."

The NGI initiative is a partnership among private companies, academic institutions and various government agencies (the NSF, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Standards and Technology).
 

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