The Minister for Information Technology and Communications, Senator Richard Alston, launched the 10 gigabit-per-second capacity Grid and Next Generation Network (GrangeNet) in Canberra today, eight and a half months after work commenced on the project.
The network, funded through the government's Advanced Networks Program, is designed to boost the communication capabilities of research and educational institutions between Brisbane and Melbourne.
GrangeNet chairman Mirk Sargent said at today's launch it would enable Australia to "rethink its place in the global research environment", by allowing closer collaboration with research institutions around the world.
The GrangeNet tender was initially won by a consortium incorporating Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNet), the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing (APAC), the Distributed systems Technology Centre (DSTC), Cisco and PowerTel.
To demonstrate the sorts of projects the GrangeNet infrastructure will enable, Alston used the high-speed network to manipulate an electron microscope at the Sydney University Electron Microscopy Unit.
"This will now be an infrastructure we can leverage as a nation, it offers endless possibilities," Alston said.
The minister said science would no longer be advanced by individual excellence, but would depend on collaboration.
"If there is anything we have learnt from globalisation is that we can no longer do things alone," Alston said. "We need to be in contact with others around the world or we are going to be overwhelmed by globalisation."
The GrangeNet backbone will provide participating universities and research facilities with access to educational networking initiatives in Australia and throughout the world. These include Internet2 in the United States, CANARIE in Canada, APAN in the Asia Pacific region, GEANT in European as well as CeNTIE and mNet in Australia.
With an operating speed of 10 gigbits per second, the GrangeNet infrastructure is second only to the CANARIE project in Canada, which has received more substantially more financial assistance from that country's government.
Corporate partners, PowerTel and Cisco are touting their participation in the project as a chance to showcase their expertise.
Jeanne-Vida Douglas travelled to Canberra as a guest of Cisco
"Eastern seabord" says it all.
Are there any plans to extend this wonderful network anywhere west of the Great Divide, or across Bass Strait?