Next Generation of Internet - Current Status and Plans

Abstract

The global Internet has grown to a giant network since its inception in early 1980s. The Internet today has three major limitations: speed, address and security. The current Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) cannot provide a sufficient number of unique IP addresses for all elements connected to the Internet. As the Internet grows larger and more crowded, government, scientists, and universities are looking for new ways to send information quickly and powerfully. Two projects have grown out of this need: Internet2 and the Next Generation Internet (NGI). Internet2 is sponsored by high-tech companies and universities, while the Next Generation Internet is a US government project. Both new Internets hope to develop new, faster technologies to enhance research and communication, and it is expected that both projects will eventually improve the current commercial Internet. This paper presents the background information, present status and plans of the next generation of Internet.