Peering

Researchers at major universities often use high-performance applications that require much more bandwidth than the average Internet user. In recent years, we've seen the development of a number computer networks that offer "dedicated resources" (network capacity that is dedicated to specific applications and therefore does not have to be shared) to researchers that provide them with more bandwidth and allow them to transfer data at higher speeds. Two examples of these networks are Internet2 and the National LambdaRail.

The problem with these networks is that they do not extend far enough north to include the U of M. That is why the U of M has partnered with three other major research institutions to create the BOREAS Network (Broadband Optical Research, Education, and Science Network). The BOREAS Network is a 1,500-mile ring of university-owned fiber that extends as far as Chicago and connects the institutions on the BOREAS Network to the Internet2 and the National LambdaRail networks.