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Super-Size Bandwidth and Two-Way Video in the Classroom Internet2 and its Impact on Video Conferencing Author: Alan Greenberg Wainhouse Research July, 2004 Connect. Any Way You Want. Table of Contents Executive Summary..........................................................................................................................................................2 Overview..........................................................................................................................................................................3 Organization and Mission.............................................................................................................................................3 Technology....................................................................................................................................................................3 Applications.................................................................................................................................................................9 Inter-Organizational Partnerships and Distance Education..............................................................................................5 The Video ‘Stuff’ of Internet2.........................................................................................................................................6 Internet2 Commons....................................................................................................................................................6 The Megaconference................................................................................................................................................6-7 ViDe and the Video Conferencing Cookbook..............................................................................................................7 Beacon H.323 Test Software.....................................................................................................................................7-8 IPv6.............................................................................................................................................................................8 Applications.....................................................................................................................................................................8 Two-Way Video............................................................................................................................................................9 Streaming Video...........................................................................................................................................................9 Tele-Immersion.............................................................................................................................................................9 Remote Instrumentation...............................................................................................................................................9 Conclusion — Super-Size Bandwidth’s Impact on Video in the Classroom...................................................................10 About the Author........................................................................................................................................................10 About Wainhouse Research.......................................................................................................................................10 About Polycom, Inc.....................................................................................................................................................10 Appendix A – Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................................11 Figures Figure 1 Abilene Network Design................................................................................................................................3 Figure 2 Megaconference 2003 Global Map................................................................................................................7 Executive Summary For a time after it was founded in 1996, The focus of this white paper is on one specific Internet2 (Internet2) was perceived among application area, digital, two-way video in the many as “that other network,” an exotic luxury classroom. Video is an ideal application for Through the Sponsored that was limited in value to all but a few Internet2: it ‘likes’ bandwidth, and it does not Educational Group research institutions. This is evolving, howev- perform well when carried over the lower- Participant (SEGP) pro- er, and Internet2 is now rapidly becoming a speed, ‘under-provisioned’ public Internet. “mover and shaker” that is changing how gram, some 30,000 K-12 researchers collaborate and how educational In addition, Internet2 already has begun to pro- schools in 34 states in institutions reach out to one another. mote the increased use of video conferencing in the U.S. alone already are the classroom, specifically through initiatives connected to Internet2. Internet2 is a consortium of over 206 universi- and projects such as the K20 Initiative, Internet2 ties (as of April 2004), as well as over 50 corpo- Commons, the Megaconference, the ViDe rate members, 40 affiliate members, and 40 Cookbook, and early, test bed deployment of the international ‘partners,’ many of which come ITU-T H.350 standard. from various consortia and governmental agen- cies. Its stated goals are threefold: Through the Sponsored Educational Group • To enable a new generation of applications Participant (SEGP) program, some 30,000 K-12 • To create leading edge research and educa- schools in 34 states in the U.S. alone already tional network capabilities, and are connected to Internet2. • To transfer technology and experience to the “global production Internet” This will only increase in time, even as Internet2 also goes global through an increasing number The result is that Internet2 has become what it of inter-networking agreements. was intended to be: a test environment for pushing the envelope on networking and net- Wainhouse Research believes the massive worked computing technologies, while also capacity provided by Internet2 will have a domi- serving as a home for creating new applications no effect on distance education, and in particu- for these technologies. lar on the use of two-way, interactive video in the classroom. As educational organizations Internet2 backbones typically operate at 2.4 seek to increase their partnerships, improve Gbps (OC-48) to 10 Gbps (OC-192) capacities learning in the classroom, and enhance ties today; its GigaPoPs (points of presence) provide between their own communities and communi- regional high-performance aggregation points; ties elsewhere, there will be an exponential and for member institutions, typically local cam- increase in use of two-way video. This trend pus networks provide no less than 100 Mbps to mirrors the global economy in which we all the desktop. At the backbone level, this is min- live, and will help drive a greater ability for pub- imally more than 1,000 times the bandwidth of lic and private institutions to discover applica- an E-1 line, and more than 19,000 times the tions together. bandwidth of a standard 128KB ISDN line. The technique being used to provide ample band- width is through over-provisioning, so that no one ever runs out of bandwidth. This creates almost endless possibilities for what can be delivered over or achieved using this amount of bandwidth. Advanced applica- tions include distributed computation, virtual laboratories, digital libraries, distributed learn- ing, streaming video, remote instrumentation, and tele-immersion. 2 Overview For a time after it was founded in 1996, Technology Internet2 is a predecessor to an even more Internet2 (Internet2) was perceived among In practical reality, Internet2 is a collection of audacious effort, National LambdaRail (NLR). many as “that other network,” an exotic luxury multiple groups of organizations and institu- Like Internet2, NLR is not a single network, but that was limited in value to all but a few tions and networks that meet certain minimum a rich set of facilities, capabilities, and services research institutions. This is evolving, howev- criteria for advanced network capabilities. that will support a set of multiple experimental er, and Internet2 is now rapidly becoming a Internet2 backbones typically operate at 2.4 and production networks for the U.S. research “mover and shaker” that is changing how Gbps (OC-48) to 10 Gbps (OC-192) capacities community. At this point in the early design researchers collaborate and how educational today; its GigaPoPs (points of presence) provide phase, NLR has at its foundation a dense wave institutions reach out to one another. Contrary regional high-performance aggregation points; division multiplexing (DWDM)-based national to popular opinion, Internet2 is funded primarily and for member institutions, typically local cam- optical footprint, being deployed on roughly by universities and private enterprise, though pus networks provide no less than 100 Mbps to 10,000 route-miles of fiber. Using Cisco some of its initiatives are government-funded the desktop. At the backbone level, this is min- Systems’ 15808 optical electronic system with a and the organization is working in parallel to imally more than 1,000 times the bandwidth of capacity of

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