China launches Certnet2 high speed Internet Backbone

China advanced its nation's communications infrastructure by launching Cernet2, a high-speed Internet backbone.

Cernet2, a high-speed internet backbone, connects 25 universities in 20 cities. Cernet, or the China Education and Research Network, has been able to achieve a monstrous speed of up to 40 gigabits per second during a trial run conducted on 7 December. This is a record for real-world applications, where the average speeds are about 2-10 GPS for universities.

Cernet2 is anticipated to expand to cover 100 universities.

Cernet committee director Wu Jianping said in an interview with China Daily, "We were a learner and follower in the development of the first generation Internet, but we have caught up with world's leaders in the next-generation Internet, become a first mover, and won respect and attention from the international community."

The impact of China's educational network online puts the country into the digital race globally and may be extended to industry and even consumers, some experts say.

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