Called the TransPAC-Pacific Wave, the new link connects network research hubs in Tokyo and Seattle.
It will deliver data transfer speeds that are 10 times faster than current rates to researchers between Asia and the U.S., according to the release.
The project is a joint collaboration between IU, the Pacific Northwest Gigapop and the National Science Foundation, according to the release. The Pacific Northwest Gigapop is the provider of the link.
The TransPAC-Pacific Wave is a joint effort of two NSF-funded projects. One project is TransPAC4, which supports backbone circuits between the U.S. and Asia. Another project is Pacific Wave, a distributed open exchange created by the Pacific Northwest Gigapop and the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California, or CENIC.
The principal investigators on the Pacific Wave are Ron Johnson of the Pacific Northwest Gigapop, University of Washington iSchool and Louis Fox of CENIC.
The principal investigator on the TransPAC4 project is the IU director of international networks, Jennifer Schopf.
“From high-energy physics, astronomy and bioinformatics to climate science and geoscience, TransPAC4 enables better, faster research in a wealth of disciplines, and I’m excited by the possibilities this new 100-gigabit circuit and open exchange fabric will enable,” Schopf said in the release. “Researchers will now be able to share their largest databases at extremely fast speeds. The TransPAC-Pacific Wave circuit is a game changer for the world of big data research.”
In March, IU and its International Networking group announced it had received a new five-year $4.8 million NSF grant for TransPAC4.
This is the fourth consecutive NSF grant to IU to lead trans-Pacific advanced research networks since 1998, according to the release.
In terms of speed, the new circuit is loosely comparable.
If a U.S. scientist needs to download several hours of ultra-high-definition 8K video from Tokyo, what had previously taken more than one hour, they can now be downloaded in less than 10 minutes.
The TransPAC-Pacific Wave circuit is now operational between Pacific Wave’s node in Seattle and Pacific Wave’s access point in Tokyo.
Direct connectivity to Japan’s Tokyo Research Exchange is scheduled to launch this fall, according to the release.
“This link represents a new era for East Asia-U.S. cyberinfrastructure and for Asia-U.S. research and education networking,” said Kevin Thompson, a program director at NSF, in the release. “Indiana University and the Pacific Northwest Gigapop are appropriately leading this effort in the United States, and both institutions have a rich history in support and innovation in international research and education networking.”
Greg Bell, division director at ESnet, said he is excited about the network’s potential and pleased with the collegiality surrounding its creation.
“This milestone is great news,” Bell said in the release. “The world’s hardest problems can only be solved through global collaboration, and 10-gigabit links will soon be insufficient to support large-scale science. Faster data almost always means faster discovery. More important than bandwidth, though, is a growing spirit of international cooperation in our community: Multiple stakeholders are working toward a common goal of open, fast and safe research networking for the world.”
Alyson Malinger
