Following a comprehensive review of the higher education sector’s access to bandwidth and its future requirements as detailed in the report A Framework for an Australian Research and Education Network, the Australian Government agreed to establish the Australian Research and Education Network (AREN) to be funded from the Systemic Infrastructure Initiative (SII), part of the Government’s Backing Australia’s Ability programme. AREN will extend and upgrade broadband connectivity for the higher education sector and wider research community. (AREN announcement 
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The Australian Research and Education Network Advisory Committee (ARENAC) was established to oversee the development of the AREN.
The Australian Government has provided over $83 million from the SII to build the AREN partnering with state and territory governments, the higher education and research sector, and various utility and telecommunications companies. Without the Australian Government’s leadership and financial support, world class research infrastructure of this magnitude would not have been attainable.
ARENAC has recommended funding to support projects in all Australian states and territories, and has also enabled Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet), the operator and manager of the AREN, to acquire significant trans-Pacific bandwidth, connecting Australian researchers to the world.
This combination of projects together forms the AREN, a critical piece of research infrastructure which will, for example, allow a scientist in Perth to collaborate in real time, using large data sets, with researchers anywhere on the global research networks, in North America, Europe, Asia or South America.