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{{Short description|Research and education network in Australia}}
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{{Infobox organization
| name            = AARNet
| image           = AARNet logo.svg
| caption         = Australia's [[National research and education network|Academic and Research Network]]
| type            =
| vat_id          =
| registration_id =
| founded_date    = {{Start date|1989}}
| founder         = [[Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee|Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee (AVCC)]]
| dissolved       = <!-- {{End date|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| location        =
| coordinates     = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LON|display=inline,title}} -->
| origins         =
| key_people      =
| area_served     = Australia
| products        =
| services        = [[Internet service provider]] (ISP)
| focus           =
| mission         =
| method          =
| revenue         =
| disbursed       =
| expenses        =
| endowment       =
| num_volunteers  =
| num_employees   = 237 <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/885678d6-2daf-e811-a963-000d3ad24077/documents/0f5ba8b8-9f50-f011-877b-6045bdc3230a|title=ACNC Annual Information Statement 2024|publisher=ACNC.GOV.AU/|access-date=27 August 2025}}</ref>
| num_members     =
| affiliations    =
| subsid          =
| owner           = 38 Australian universities and [[CSIRO]]
| motto           =
| formerly        =
| website         = {{URL|aarnet.edu.au}}
| footnotes       =
| module          = {{infobox network service provider|child=yes|asn=7575}}
}}

'''AARNet''' ('''Australian Academic and Research Network''') provides Internet services to the Australian education and research communities and their research partners.

AARNet built the Internet in Australia.<ref name="AARNet20YearBook">{{cite book|last=Korporaal|first=Glenda|title=AARNet – 20 Years of the Internet in Australia – 1989–2009|url=http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/aarnet/AARNet_20YearBook_Full.pdf |access-date=2 November 2013 |year=2009|publisher=AARNet|isbn=978-0-646-52111-4}}</ref><ref name="Xamax">{{cite web|url=http://www.rogerclarke.com/II/OzI04.html#Beg|title=Origins and Nature of the Internet in Australia|last=Clarke|first=Roger|publisher=www.xamax.com.au/|access-date=3 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Grubb|first=Ben|title=Who really invented the internet in Australia|url=http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/who-really-invented-the-internet-in-australia-20130628-2p1xy.html|work=[[The Age]]|date=28 June 2013 |access-date=3 November 2013}}</ref> In 1995, the [[Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee]] (AVCC) transferred AARNet1 as a [[going concern]] to [[Telstra]]<ref name="Virtual_Nation">{{cite book |last=Goggin |first=Greg |title=Virtual Nation: The Internet in Australia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FmHSqYXCW98C&dq=%22Connect.com.au%22&pg=PA33 |access-date=16 September 2008 |year=2005 |publisher=[[University of New South Wales Press]] |location=Sydney|isbn=978-0-86840-503-2}}</ref> who then operated it as the initial [[Telstra#Internet|Telstra Internet]]. Today, AARNet is Australia's [[National research and education network]] (NREN). It forms the Australian component of the global advanced research and education Internet network.

AARNet Pty Ltd, which owns and operates the AARNet, is a not-for-profit company limited by shares. The shareholders are 38&nbsp;Australian universities and the Australian [[CSIRO]]. AARNet's services in addition to Internet connectivity include [[Eduroam]], voice, video and data storage services and a [[Mirror website|content mirror]].

==History==
[[File:AARNet Network 1993.png|thumb|350px|right|The AARNet network as at October 1993]]
AARNet was initially built between the [[University of Melbourne]] in [[Melbourne]], where the international Internet feed initially landed, and university and [[CSIRO]] facilities in all [[Australian state]] capital cities and the [[Australian National University]] in [[Canberra]]. AARNet was formed in 1989 by the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee (AVCC).

In 1989, [[Kevin Robert Elz]] established the first permanent Internet feed to Australia, at the University of Melbourne. Until this time, researchers within Australia had limited access to the [[ARPANET]], due to the high expense of providing communications between Australia and the United States. The national network infrastructure generally consisted of groups of hosts connected throughout the country exchanging mail and files on a periodic schedule using the [[MHSnet|SUNIII]] software and protocols, with several international dial-up links around the country exchanging this information where required.

AARNet was initially built as a multi-protocol network, comprising [[Internet Protocol]] (IP) as well as [[DECnet]] and [[X.25]] so as to accommodate pre-existing [[ACSnet]] and [[SPEARnet]] systems then in current use. With the rapid subsequent growth in popularity of the Internet, AARNet soon evolved into an [[Internet Protocol|IP]]-only network. In 1988, there were a number of popular network protocols, such as [[IBM]]'s [[Systems Network Architecture|SNA]] and the [[CCITT]]'s [[X.25]], and the ARPANET's IP protocol was only beginning to become favoured. Australian National University staff members [[Geoff Huston (internet)|Geoff Huston]] and Peter Elford were seconded by the AVCC in 1989 and tasked with technical management and build of the new network.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.internethalloffame.org/blog/2012/07/09/father-australian-internet-warns-address-crunch-0|title=Father of Australian Internet Warns of Address Crunch {{!}} Internet Hall of Fame|website=www.internethalloffame.org|access-date=2020-04-03|archive-date=21 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321210245/https://www.internethalloffame.org/blog/2012/07/09/father-australian-internet-warns-address-crunch-0|url-status=dead}}</ref>

AARNet introduced its 'value added reseller' program to allow [[Internet service provider]]s (ISPs) to use its network, the first being [[Connect.com.au]] in May 1994.<ref name=Virtual_Nation /> AARNet gradually became a wholesale [[backbone network|backbone]] ISP, serving over 300 smaller ISPs by June 1995. At that point, about 20% of total AARNet traffic was from these other users, and AVCC decided to sell the AARNet commercial assets to [[Telstra]], who currently operates it under the name [[Telstra#Internet|Telstra Internet]].

In early 1997, AARNet2 went into service, a network that used [[Asynchronous Transfer Mode|ATM]] links and Internet services under a contract with Cable & Wireless Optus (CWO), now [[Optus]]. AARNet became a separate company from the AVCC in 1999.

In 2001 AARNet deployed its own international capacity by acquiring 310&nbsp;Mbit/s of capacity from Sydney via Hawaii to [[Seattle]]. As of 2006, the current network is known as AARNet3, and the backbone uses a [[dark fibre network]] provided by [[Nextgen Networks]].

[[File:AARNet International Network.png|thumb|600px|centre|The AARNet international network as at September 2013, showing onward connections to peer [[national research and education network|NREN]] networks]]

==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#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|archive-date=3 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203011635/http://news.aarnet.edu.au/aarnet4-boosts-capacity-for-researchers/|url-status=dead}}</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|archive-date=3 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203015045/http://news.aarnet.edu.au/australias-academic-and-research-network-advances-science-education-and-rd-with-juniper-networks/|url-status=dead}}</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).

==AARNet generations==

[[File:AARNet timeline.svg|thumb|350px|right|Key milestones in the creation of the Internet in Australia]]

AARNet1 (1989–1997): Australia's first Internet:<ref name=Xamax />
* AARNet-operated [[layer 3]] [[Router (computing)|routers]]; one [[point of presence]] (PoP) per capital city
* national backbone: carrier-provided ([[Telstra]]) inter-PoP transmission capacity
* carrier-provided trans-Pacific transmission capacity
* AARNet1 sold to [[Telstra]] in 1995

AARNet2 (1997–2006): Fostered the building of [[Optus]]' [[Asynchronous Transfer Mode|ATM]] and Optus' Internet networks:<ref name=AARNet20YearBook />
* AARNet-operated layer 3 routers; one PoP per capital city
* national backbone: carrier-provided ([[Optus]]) inter-PoP [[Asynchronous Transfer Mode|ATM]] transmission capacity
* carrier-provided trans-Pacific transmission capacity

AARNet3 (2006–2013): The AARNet optical network:<ref>{{cite web|title=AARNet Annual Report 2004 |url=http://www.aarnet.edu.au/library/aarnet_annual_report_2004.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830082729/http://www.aarnet.edu.au/library/aarnet_annual_report_2004.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 August 2007 |publisher=AARNet |access-date=8 November 2013 }}</ref>
* AARNet-operated layer 3 routers; two physically diverse PoPs in each capital city
* national backbone: AARNet-operated optical fibre transmission capacity
* AARNet-operated international fibre transmission capacity
* Also delivers enduser [[Layer 1]] optical transmission and [[Layer 2]] [[VLAN]] switching services

AARNet4 (2013–present): The AARNet optical network grows:<ref>{{cite web|title=What will AARNet4 enable our customers to do?|url=http://news.aarnet.edu.au/what-will-aarnet4-enable-our-customers-to-do/|publisher=AARNet|access-date=19 October 2014|archive-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019052047/http://news.aarnet.edu.au/what-will-aarnet4-enable-our-customers-to-do/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* entirely AARNet-operated
* national optical backbone: optical fibre transmission capacity ultimately 80&nbsp;wavelengths each at 100&nbsp;Gbit/s (total 8&nbsp;Tbit/s)
* national IP network: 100&nbsp;Gbit/s layer&nbsp;3 routed network via diverse paths
* international connectivity: 240&nbsp;Gbit/s of optical fibre transmission capacity, via six network interconnect points in USA and one in Singapore
* enduser services: layer&nbsp;1 point-to-point optical transmission; layer&nbsp;2 [[Metro Ethernet|metro-Ethernet]] VLAN; layer&nbsp;2 and layer&nbsp;3 [[Multiprotocol Label Switching|MPLS]]-based [[Virtual private network|VPN]] services; high performance layer&nbsp;3 routed access to global research and education (R&E) networks and the public Internet

==AARNet Pty Ltd==
AARNet was established in 1989 originally as an activity under the auspices of the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee (AVCC).

AARNet was formed into a separate company on 22 December 1998.<ref>{{cite web|title=ASIC Search|url=https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/faces/landing/SearchRegisters.jspx?_adf.ctrl-state=n9308hg5u_4|publisher=[[Australian Securities & Investments Commission]]|access-date=3 November 2013}}</ref>
AARNet Pty Ltd, ACN 084540518, ABN 54 084 540 518, is a not-for-profit company limited by shares.
The shareholders are 38 of Australia's universities and the Australian [[CSIRO]].<ref>{{cite web|title=AARNet Shareholders|url=http://www.aarnet.edu.au/about-us/governance/shareholders|publisher=AARNet|access-date=3 November 2013}}</ref>

AARNet Pty Ltd became a licensed telecommunications carrier ([[Telephone company|Telco]]) under the Australian Telecommunications Act on 27 November 2000, becoming Australian carrier number 61.<ref>{{cite web|title=Register of Licensed Carriers |url=http://www.acma.gov.au/~/media/Regulatory%20Reform%20and%20Carrier%20Infrastructure/Spreadsheet/Register%20of%20Licensed%20Carriers.XLSX |publisher=[[Australian Communications & Media Authority]] |access-date=3 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203005029/http://www.acma.gov.au/~/media/Regulatory%20Reform%20and%20Carrier%20Infrastructure/Spreadsheet/Register%20of%20Licensed%20Carriers.XLSX |archive-date=3 December 2013 }}</ref>

==National network==
[[File:AARNet National Network.png|thumb|300px|AARNet national network as at October 2013]]
The AARNet4 national network comprises high capacity optical fibre transmission paths between switching centres in major cities from [[Cairns]] to [[Perth]] as well as branch lines to [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], [[Hobart]] and several other locations. Because optical fibre repair times are long, the backbone network follows two physically diverse paths. As at late 2013, capacity on each leg of the routed network was between 10 and 100&nbsp;[[gigabit]] per second (Gbit/s).<ref name="NationalMap">{{cite web|title=AARNet National Network Map |url=http://www.aarnet.edu.au/library/AARNetNationalMap_September_2013_Final.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109003339/http://www.aarnet.edu.au/library/AARNetNationalMap_September_2013_Final.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 November 2013 |publisher=AARNet |access-date=7 November 2013 }}</ref> Starting with only 48&nbsp;kbit/s national backbone capacity in 1990, this reflects a similarly rapid [[exponential growth]] rate as for AARNet's international capacity.

The Network peers with external content providers and ISPs to increase performance and availability of the network. The organisation has a selective peering policy<ref>{{cite web|title=Australian National Peering Policy|url=https://www.aarnet.edu.au/images/uploads/resources/national_peering_policy.pdf|website=AARNet|publisher=AARNet Pty Ltd|access-date=27 March 2016}}</ref> for peering with other providers. This policy applies to all requests for settlement-free interconnection with AARNet, either via dedicated connections or traffic via [[Internet exchange point|public internet exchanges]].

AARNet provides the Internet to several million end-user devices at Australian universities, CSIRO, various other research and educational institutions, and some hospitals. Customer site connections are mostly at 1 to 10&nbsp;Gbit/s rates, with most end-user [[Ethernet]] services at 1&nbsp;Gbit/s, and [[Eduroam]] services at available [[Wi-Fi]] performance levels.

AARNet's layer 3 services are usually delivered at the AARNet [[Point of presence|PoP]] sites. With the introduction of the AARNet3 optical fibre network (i.e. from 2006 onwards) AARNet progressively developed capability to extend services to customer sites in some locations, as well as providing layer&nbsp;1 and layer&nbsp;2 inter-campus connections in those areas. Prior to that, and at other locations, it is end-customer institutions' responsibility to extend services to site and to provision their own inter-campus network links. These are either operated directly by AARNet such as in [[Queensland]] or provided by companion networks such as [[SABRENet]] in South Australia and VERNet in [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]].

Summary of AARNet national IP network performance levels as at 2013:
* National backbone links: mostly 10 to 100&nbsp;Gbit/s
* Customer site connections: mostly 1 to 10&nbsp;Gbit/s
* End-user services: mostly 1&nbsp;Gbit/s [[Ethernet]] and available Wi-Fi rates
* Continues to sustain traffic growth rates of 50% per annum year on year over the preceding decade<ref name=AARNet4capacity />

==International connectivity==
[[File:AARNet trans-Pacific traffic growth.png|thumb|300px|AARNet's trans-Pacific capacity growth from its inception to 2013]]
AARNet provides the Australian component of the global advanced Research and Education Internet network. AARNet has high capacity interconnections with North American<ref>{{cite web|url=http://internet2.edu/vision-initiatives/partnerships/international-partnerships/international-partners/|title=Internet2 International Partners|publisher=internet2.edu/|access-date=4 November 2013|archive-date=6 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106134002/http://internet2.edu/vision-initiatives/partnerships/international-partnerships/international-partners/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canarie.ca/en/about/partners/networks |title=CANARIE International Peer Networks |publisher=www.canarie.ca/en/home |access-date=4 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009194846/http://www.canarie.ca/en/about/partners/networks |archive-date=9 October 2013 }}</ref> ([[Internet2]]),
European<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geant.net/Network/Global-Connectivity/Pages/World_Regions-Asia_Pacific.aspx|title=GÉANT Global Connectivity Asia Pacific|publisher=www.geant.net/Pages/default.aspx|access-date=3 November 2013}}</ref> ([[GÉANT]]) and Asian<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tein3.net/partners/Pages/TEIN3_Project_Partners.aspx|title=TEIN3 Project Partners|publisher=www.tein3.net/Pages/home.aspx|access-date=3 November 2013|archive-date=9 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109003340/http://www.tein3.net/partners/Pages/TEIN3_Project_Partners.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> (TEIN3) components of the global network.

As at late 2014, AARNet operated a total capacity of 120&nbsp;Gbit/s to North America and a further 5&nbsp;Gbit/s to Asia.<ref>{{cite web|title=AARNet International Network Map|url=http://www.aarnet.edu.au/images/uploads/resources/International_Map_May_2014.pdf|publisher=AARNet|access-date=19 October 2014|archive-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019050648/http://www.aarnet.edu.au/images/uploads/resources/International_Map_May_2014.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> This equates to a 2.2&nbsp;million-fold increase over AARNet's initial trans-Pacific capacity of 56&nbsp;kbit/s in 1990 and represents an average doubling time of aggregate international capacity of only 14&nbsp;months over the entire history of AARNet (cf. [[Moore's Law]]).

==Application services==
In addition to providing high capacity Internet transmission and routing services and a comprehensive range of core Internet services including [[BGP]], [[Domain Name System|DNS]], [[Network Time Protocol|NTP]] and [[IPv6]], AARNet also provides a variety of higher-layer network services including:
* [[Eduroam]] global federated authentication service, most often appearing as [[Eduroam]] Wi-Fi services on-campus and at associated locations
* [[VoIP]] IP telephony services<ref>{{cite web|last=Debelle|first=Penelope|title=VoIP starts to talk the talk|url=http://www.theage.com.au/small-business/voip-starts-to-talk-the-talk-20090619-cpbo.html|work=[[The Age]]|date=13 September 2007|access-date=7 November 2013}}</ref>
* AUCX unified voice and video communications exchange<ref>[https://www.aarnet.edu.au/network-and-services/cloud-services-applications/aucx Unified Communications Exchange] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212142204/https://www.aarnet.edu.au/network-and-services/cloud-services-applications/aucx |date=12 February 2018 }}, AARNet</ref>
* Cloud services including CloudStor file storage service
* AARNet mirror site to reduce load on international links due to repeated downloads of the same material.
To further optimise network traffic loads, AARNet operates high capacity peering links with various major content providers including the Australian [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Grubb|first=Ben|title=AARNet provides unmetered access to Akamai|url=http://www.itnews.com.au/News/157317,aarnet-provides-unmetered-access-to-akamai.aspx|publisher=iTnews|access-date=6 November 2013}}</ref> [[Microsoft]] and [[Amazon.com|Amazon]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Pearce|first=Roman|title=AARNet peers with Amazon's cloud|url=http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/441177/aarnet_peers_amazon_cloud/|publisher=Computerworld|access-date=6 November 2013}}</ref>

==Supporting big science==
[[File:CSIRO ASKAP 2010.jpg|thumb|CSIRO's ASKAP antennas at the [[Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory]], Western Australia]]
Throughout their life, a major driver for the very high capacities of advanced Research and Education Internet networks including AARNet has been to meet the needs of data-intensive research across a wide range of research disciplines in both the sciences and the humanities. For example, to interconnect major research instruments such as [[synchrotron]]s and [[telescope]]s in remote locations to [[high performance computer]] systems and researchers around the world, such as astronomers in Europe viewing the southern sky using telescopes in Australia<ref>{{cite web|title=Australian astronomers give a Euro view |url=http://www.theage.com.au//national/australian-astronomers-give-a-euro-view-20071009-139u.html|work=The Age|date=9 October 2007 |access-date=30 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150829215511/http://www.theage.com.au/ |archive-date=29 August 2015 |df=dmy }}</ref> or high resolution realtime video links between remote locations.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ramadge|first=Paul|title=Fast data link for researchers|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/ultrafast-data-link-thrills-researchers/2008/01/16/1200419846497.html|work=The Age|date=16 January 2008|access-date=30 August 2015}}</ref>

Most recently, AARNet has built a 100&nbsp;Gbit/s [[Wavelength-division multiplexing|WDM]] optical fibre transmission system<ref name=NationalMap /> from [[Perth]] to [[Geraldton]] and on to the [[Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory]] (MRO) in Western Australia in support of Australia's component of the international [[Square Kilometre Array]] project and the initial [[ASKAP]] telescope array at the MRO.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.aarnet.edu.au/ AARNet]
* [http://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/ AARNet mirror site]

{{Asia Pacific research and education networks}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aarnet}}
[[Category:Education in Australia]]
[[Category:Internet in Australia]]
[[Category:Internet mirror services]]
[[Category:Internet service providers of Australia]]
[[Category:National research and education networks]]
[[Category:Scientific organisations based in Australia]]
[[Category:Technology companies established in 1998]]
[[Category:1998 establishments in Australia]]