AARNet hooks up first education customer to the NBN

The Cathedral School in Townsville was connected to the National Broadband Network (NBN) this week by the Australian Academic and Research Network (AARNet), with students and staff now having fibre optic access speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps).

AARNet had been providing internet services to the tertiary education and research community since 2006. As one of the official access seekers of the NBN it can now offer services to schools that were not covered by the existing AARNet network. Its customers include 38 universities across Australia.

AARNet has already partnered with US space program developers, NASA, to develop a range of content for students in Townsville to access via high speed networks.

In August, AARNet CEO, Chris Hancock, told Computerworld Australia that network upgrades, collaboration, and mobility were part of a new five-year plan for the organisation.

By 2015, the AARnet network will offer its education and research customers a 100-gigbit backbone as part of AARNet 4.

The current iteration, AARNet 3, offers 1G and 10G connections between local customers and global collaboration partners.

Follow Hamish Barwick on Twitter: @HamishBarwick

Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU

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