Editing AARNet (section)

==Chronology==

Major milestones in the development of AARNet include:<ref name=AARNet20YearBook /><ref name=Xamax /><ref name=APLReports>{{cite web|title=AARNet Annual Reports|url=http://www.aarnet.edu.au/about-us/publications/annual-reports|publisher=AARNet|access-date=30 November 2013}}</ref>

===Pre-AARNet – pre-internet===
*1963: [[CSIRONET]] established by the CSIRO's Division of Computing Research
*1976: CSIRONET had grown to connect more than 50 computers spanning from [[Townsville]] to [[Hobart]] to [[Perth]] via a combination of dial-up and low speed leased line connections
*1979: [[ACSnet]] formed – used [[MHSnet]] to transfer [[Computer file|file]]s, email and [[netnews|newsgroups]] between computers in Australian universities and to the United States via low speed dialup connections
*1986: South Pacific Education and Research Network ([[SPEARnet]]) formed – used [[X.25]]-based [[Coloured Book protocols]] to interconnect 22 Australian and New Zealand universities
*1989: Internet brought to Australia via a [[NASA]]-subsidized 56&nbsp;kbit/s dedicated satellite circuit between the [[University of Melbourne]] and the [[University of Hawaii]]

===The early years – building the Internet in Australia===
*1989: AARNet established by the [[Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee]]
*1990: AARNet national backbone network built from Brisbane to Perth, each link initially at 48&nbsp;kbit/s capacity, starring from a hub at the international Internet landing point at the University of Melbourne. AARNet national network was initially built as a multi-protocol [[layer 3]] network, comprising [[Internet Protocol]] (IP) as well as [[DECnet]] and [[X.25]] so as to accommodate the pre-existing ACSnet and SPEARnet networks. Connections to around 40 universities and CSIRO sites commissioned.
*1990–92: International capacity increased in several rapid increments from 56&nbsp;kbit/s to 1.5&nbsp;Mbit/s, at an average 6&nbsp;month doubling rate. In 1991, the national backbone links were upgraded to 2&nbsp;Mbit/s. By 1992, AARNet connected 40,000 computers.
*1991: 'Affiliate membership' programme and [[Acceptable use policy]] (AUP) established for government and research groups to join the network. By the end of 1993, AARNet provided services to over 300 government agencies and companies, including early Australian [[Internet Service Provider]]s (ISPs) [[Connect.com.au]], [[Pegasus Networks]] and [[Internode (ISP)|Internode]].
*1993: Local links to major customer sites progressively upgraded from low capacity carrier leased lines to microwave links for more capacity, typically 10&nbsp;Mbit/s, at lower costs
*1994: 'Value-Added Reseller' programme established and AARNet's AUP broadened to accommodate growing demand for Internet access from a wider range of users, including ISPs [[OzEmail]] and [[iiNet]]
*1995: The AVCC sold the then entire Australian Internet (AARNet1) as a going concern to [[Telstra]], including staff, infrastructure ([[router (computing)|routers]], etc.), intellectual property and the entire commercial customer base. Telstra then took over operating AARNet1 as its initial [[Telstra#Telstra Internet|Telstra Internet]].
*1996: AARNet2 tender awarded to [[Optus]], accelerating the build of Optus' [[Asynchronous Transfer Mode]] (ATM) and Internet infrastructure, capabilities and services
*1997: AARNet2 [[Asynchronous Transfer Mode|ATM]]-based national network commissioned

===Building the present AARNet===
*1998: AARNet Mirror site commissioned
*1998: AARNet Pty Ltd established as a separate company
*1999: Ownership of AARNet Pty Ltd transferred from the AVCC to Australia's universities and CSIRO
*1999: AARNet's [[VoIP]] service commissioned
*2000: AARNet telecommunications carrier license granted by [[Australian Communications & Media Authority|Australian Communications Authority]]
*2001: AARNet became the first research and education network to operate its own trans-oceanic optical-fibre capacity, initially comprising dual 155&nbsp;Mbit/s links to Canada's [[CANARIE]] network
*2002: [[GrangeNet]] built as a separate demonstration next generation network, through which various in the sector obtained their first exposure to then next generation [[gigabit Ethernet]] and long-haul optical fibre transmission systems. Later, when user institutions had operational need to interconnect their AARNet and GrangeNet services they also gained experience with the complexities of asymmetric routing.
*2003: AARNet negotiated purchase from [[Southern Cross Cable]] of multi-gigabit 'SXTransPORT' trans-Pacific links via diverse paths
*2003: AARNet buys into [[Nextgen Networks]] ensuring its survival as an independent long-haul optical-fibre infrastructure provider
*2004: Dual 10&nbsp;Gbit/s and dual 622&nbsp;Mbit/s SXTransPORT trans-Pacific links commissioned
*2006: AARNet3 national network commissioned

===Up to the present===
*2007: [[Layer 1]] point-to-point 1&nbsp;Gbit/s transmission services ('EN4R') introduced for high-end research data transfer applications between points reached by the AARNet3 national network
*2008: Direct link to Asia upgraded to 1&nbsp;Gbit/s via diverse routes between Perth and Singapore, reducing [[Network latency|latency]] (delay) to Asia, cf much commercial Internet traffic between Australia and Asia still traverses the Pacific Ocean twice via the USA.
*2011: High-capacity [[wavelength-division multiplexing]] (WDM) link built from Perth via [[Geraldton]] to the Australian site of the [[Square Kilometre Array]] (SKA) at the [[Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory]], and the various telescope facilities at the MRO in particular the initial [[Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder]] (ASKAP) telescope array at the site.
*2011: Second optical fibre path to Asia commissioned, from Sydney to Singapore via [[Guam]], increasing AARNet's direct capacity to Asia to 1.2&nbsp;Gbit/s
*2012: International capacity increased to a total of 90&nbsp;Gbit/s trans-Pacific plus a further 3.1&nbsp;Gbit/s in two diverse routes to Asia
*2013: AARNet4 announced,<ref name="AARNet4capacity">{{cite web|title=AARNet4 boosts capacity and reach for research and education|url=http://news.aarnet.edu.au/aarnet4-boosts-capacity-for-researchers/|publisher=AARNet|access-date=30 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Australia's Academic and Research Network advances science, education and R&D with Juniper Networks|url=http://news.aarnet.edu.au/australias-academic-and-research-network-advances-science-education-and-rd-with-juniper-networks/|publisher=AARNet|access-date=30 November 2013}}</ref> which is upgrading the AARNet WDM national network capacity to multiple parallel 100&nbsp;Gbit/s channels, ultimately 80&nbsp;channels (total 8&nbsp;[[Terabit|Tbit]]/s).