The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts today announced the successful applicants for funding under the BITS Advanced Network Program. The Ministerial press release is at:
http://www.dcita.gov.au/cgi-bin/graphics.pl?path=5759

The GrangeNet consortium, comprising AARNet, the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing (APAC), the Enterprise Systems Technology Centre, Cisco and Powertel received $14 million under the program and the consortia members will collectively contribute a further $44million in cash and in-kind contributions over the duration of the program.

GrangeNet and the two other successful applicants (the CSIRO-led CeNTIE and the SA based mNet wireless proposals) have agreed to work together to maximise the outcomes of the program. The GrangeNet and CeNTIE projects will, in combination, form a national backbone from Brisbane to Perth, and GrangeNet will explore possibilities of extending network reach to cover institutions and centres beyond the capital cities on the initial backbone.

GrangeNet will also utilise AARNet's recently announced interconnections to Internet2's Abilene and CANARIE's CA*Net3 networks to facilitate international as well as national collaboration on applications, grid services and advanced network services. see http://www.aarnet.edu.au/mail/news-l/msg00028.html

Contact:
George McLaughlin, Executive Director
AARNet Pty Ltd (ACN 084 540 518)
GPO Box 1142, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
ph: +61.2.6276.6900
inquiries@aarnet.edu.au

http://www.aarnet.edu.au/