AMPATH Blazes the Trail for Internet2 in Latin America

Internet Strategies Latin America
by Grant Smith, Yankee Group
June 13, 2001

Event Summary

Brazil's Rede Nacional de Pesquisa (RNP) will connect to the high-speed research network Internet2 through the Americas Path (AMPATH), a high capacity network developed by Global Crossing and Florida International University (FIU). RNP is a Brazilian academic network launched in 1991 with the most a highly developed national research IP backbone in Brazil. RNP connects 350 federal universities, institutes, and other public and private higher education organizations interconnected through one of the highest traffic network access points (NAP) in South America, the RNP NAP.

It is expected that an additional 250 Latin American universities and research institutions could use AMPATH to connect to Abilene, a high-speed research and education network operated by the Internet2 consortium. Global Crossing has donated 10 DS3s (45 Mbps) to AMPATH project to enable the interconnection of more universities and research organizations in Latin America to U.S. and non-U.S. National Research and Education Networks using Internet2's Abilene network and the Science, Technology, and Research Transit Access Point (STAR TAP). STAR TAP, funded by the National Science Foundation, enables advanced international network interconnection at the Ameritech Network Access Point (NAP) in Chicago. STAR TAP peers nclude international collaborators from 150 leading research universities and institutions, including supercomputing centers.

Market Impact

Researchers in Latin America seeking North/South scientific exchanges have had to rely on expensive satellite and narrow band Internet connections and fledgling regional academic networks. The capacity available has not been sufficient for bandwidth intensive research applications, particularly in such fields as astronomy and medicine. Other research institutions/universities that will be connected to AMPATH include Retina in Argentina, Senacyt in Panama, Reaccuin in Venezuela, CUDI in Mexico, Cintel in Colombia, RCP in Peru, and Reuna in Chile. The arrival of Internet2 represents a huge increase in capacity for research through high speed networking infrastructure across the Americas.

Recommendations

Fledgling academic networks performing research slightly preceded commercial use of the Internet in most parts of Latin America. However, their contribution of human capital has been essential to Internet development. By donating capacity, Global Crossing will generate additional demand for systems engineers to develop the applications and services over high-speed networks. Network service providers and equipment vendors should pay greater attention to the role seeding advanced academic networks can play across the region as an important precursor to increased supply and demand for commercial network services.