December 20, 2000
MIAMI, FL -- Terremark and FIU have signed a Research and Development
Agreement with the aim of establishing Miami as the major hub for a
regional research and education network. Terremark Worldwide, Inc.
(AMEX:TWW), a global leader in providing Internet infrastructure and
managed services to the telecommunications industry, today announced that
Terremark's NAP of the Americas will serve as the home of the AMPATH
Network and South Florida's Internet2 GigaPoP.
AMPATH, a project developed by Florida International University (FIU) in
collaboration with Global Crossing, interconnects the research and
education networks in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico
and other countries, to U.S. and non-U.S. research and education networks
via the Internet2 Abilene network.
Internet2 is a consortium being led by more than 180 universities working
in partnership with industry and government to develop and deploy advanced
network applications and technologies, accelerating the creation of
tomorrow's Internet. Internet2 is recreating the partnership among
academia, industry and government that fostered today's Internet. Abilene
is an advanced backbone network that supports the development and
deployment of the new applications being developed within the Internet2
community. Abilene connects regional network aggregation points, called
GigaPoPs, to support the work of Internet2 universities as they develop
advanced Internet applications.
The announcement is part of a Research and Development Agreement between
Terremark and FIU to work together, through FIU's Telecommunications and
Information Technology Institute, on research and development projects to
create test beds for experimentation at the NAP of the Americas using the
AMPATH network to study current and emerging Internet and
telecommunications technologies, including but not limited to, IPv6,
Quality of Service (QoS), multicast and optical switching.
"We are proud that the NAP of the Americas will be the home of the AMPATH
Network and the South Florida GigaPoP," said Manuel D. Medina, Chairman and
CEO of Terremark. "We are particularly excited to join forces with Florida
International University to develop a program to connect educators and
students across the Americas and beyond, which will establish the NAP of
the Americas and Miami as one of the premier educational points for the
development of applications for the advancement of Internet technologies."
The NAP of the Americas will serve as a major connecting point where
research and education networks can peer with U.S.-and non-U.S.-based
National Research Networks. Co-locating AMPATH, a point-of-presence, within
the NAP of the Americas will establish Miami as a major connectivity point
for research and development for educational initiatives.
"With this agreement, the AMPATH and FIU partnership is positioned to
become the leading international technology initiative for higher learning
throughout the Western Hemisphere," said FIU President Modesto A. Maidique.
"The NAP of the Americas is the ideal site to host a pan-regional higher
education initiative, which will enhance Miami's stature as a leading
high-tech learning center."
Terremark is the operator and owner of the NAP of the Americas, a
TerreNAP SM Data Center that will be a
state-of-the-art facility providing
interconnection between global carriers, ISPs and others. The
carrier-neutral NAP of the Americas is one of the most significant
telecommunications projects in the Western Hemisphere, as it will connect
fiber networks in Latin America, Europe and Africa to those in the U.S. and
have a profound impact on Internet traffic flow once completed in the
second quarter of 2001. It is only the fifth Tier-1 NAP in the Western
Hemisphere.
About Terremark Worldwide, Inc.
Terremark Worldwide, Inc. is a global leader in providing Internet
infrastructure and managed services, as well as a full range of real estate
services. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, it has offices in several other
locations throughout the United States, Latin America and Asia.
About NAP of the Americas
The NAP of the Americas, a TerreNAPSM Data Center, is the fifth Tier-1
Network Access Point (NAP) in the world. TerreNAPSM Data Centers is a
subsidiary of Terremark Worldwide, Inc.
NAP of the Americas is the first carrier neutral Tier-1 NAP and it is the
first one housed in a facility built specifically for a NAP. Located in
Miami, Florida, the NAP of the Americas will be a premier facility
providing interconnection between global carriers, ISPs and others as well
as connecting fiber networks in Latin America, Europe and Africa to those
in the U.S. Terremark Worldwide is the owner and operator of the NAP of the
Americas; Telcordia Technologies will engineer it with its latest IP
technology.
About FIU
FIU, recognized as one of the nation's best public research universities,
educates some 32,000 students on campuses throughout South Florida and
Latin America. Its Telecommunications and Information Technology Institute
delivers high-quality telecommunications and information technology
education and training, conducts and promotes research to enhance Florida's
role as a leader in telecommunications and information technology, offers
training necessary to fostering business development and work force
preparedness, and promotes technology transfer to enhance enabling
technologies of the telecommunications and information technology
industries.
About Internet 2
Led by over 180 U.S. universities working with industry and government,
Internet 2 is developing and deploying advanced network applications and
technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation
of tomorrow's Internet. Internet 2 recreates the partnership of academia,
industry and government that helped foster today's Internet in its infancy.
Contact:
Sandra Gonzalez-Levy
Terremark Worldwide Inc., Miami
sgonzalez-levy@terremark.com
Steven Schwadron or Alex Armas
Edelman Public Relations, Miami
steven.schwadron@edelman.com
alex.armas@edelman.com
