SuperJanet

   An initiative started in 1989, under the Computer Board, with
   the aim of developing of a national broadband network to
   support UK higher education and research.  The preparatory
   work culminated in 1992 with the award of a contract worth 18M
   pounds to British Telecom to provide networking services over
   a four year period that extends to March 1997.

   The BT contract will provide a national network with two
   components: a high speed, configurable bandwidth network
   serving up to 16 sites, initially using PDH to be replaced
   with SDH, and a high speed switched data service (SMDS)
   serving 50 or more sites.  The primary role of the PDH/SDH
   component will be to support the development and deployment of
   an ATM network.  These components will be complemented by
   several high performance Metropolitan Area Networks each
   serving several closely located sites.  The aim is to provide,
   within the first year of the project, a pervasive network
   capable of supporting a large and diverse user community.

   The network has two parts, an IP data network and an ATM
   network, both operating at 34Mbit/s.  Early in August 1993 the
   pilot IP network was transferred to full service and was
   configured to provide a trunk network for JIPS, the JANET IP
   Service.

   In November 1993 work was well advanced on the next phase
   which aims to extend SuperJANET to a large number of sites.
   The pilot four site ATM network will be extended to serve
   twelve sites and will expand the scope of the video network.
   The principal vehicle used for the expansion of the data
   network will be the SMDS service provided by BT.  Most of
   the work associated with the development of this phase is
   expected to be completed by the end of March 1994.

   [Joint Network Team, Network News 40, ISSN 0954 - 0636].

   
<ftp://osiris.jnt.ac.uk/pub/newsfiles/documents/netwnews/news40+/news40.para>.

   [Current status?]

   (1994-12-15)