HPNC: Sponsored Internet 2 Membership and High-Performance Networking for Amherst College

Amherst College, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

Amherst College is known for excellence in both research and teaching by its faculty, and for providing its undergraduate students with the research experiences normally found only at the graduate level. Amherst prides itself on hiring faculty who are among the top researchers in the country, and so are engaged in cutting-edge research similar to the work being done at large research universities. An increasing number of Amherst science faculty collaborate with researchers at other institutions, and need the very high bandwidth and quality of service of Internet2 to collaborate effectively and efficiently. The College has recognized that high bandwidth connectivity is fast becoming an essential tool for many faculty, and has committed to making improvements in the campus infrastructure. Nevertheless, Amherst location in a rural area has hurt the College ability to acquire cost-effective telecommunications circuits to the main Internet and Internet2 access points. Working with the other schools in Five Colleges, Inc., Amherst College is eager to implement a cost-effective fiber network connecting the five institutions to Springfield, Massachusetts, the closest point on the main telecommunications corridors. This proposed grant will be used primarily to establish such high-performance connectivity.