A Framework for an Australian Research & Education Network

The Higher Education Bandwidth Advisory Committee was established by the Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP in August 2002 to advise him of the short to medium term bandwidth requirements of the higher education sector with a particular focus on research needs.

The Committee undertook a comprehensive process of consultation to collect quantitative data on the baseline situation and identify areas of deficiency with respect to network links to the major campuses of all universities and major research organisations, and commissioned a number of expert papers that assisted in its deliberations.

This approach was taken to ensure that the recommendations of the Committee are based on a knowledge of the current situation relating to network bandwidth, and that the Committee would be able to develop a realistic understanding of the demands that current and future research and education activities will place on network bandwidth.

This situation assessment indicated considerable disparity in the availability and affordability of bandwidth across the higher education sector, often greater than could be explained by differences in research intensity at the institutions. The major influence on this outcome – which is evident in both metropolitan and regional areas - has been changes in the nature of research activity, such as:

• increased collaboration nationally and internationally;

• the development of, and the need to access, extensive data bases arising from global research activities;

• the evolution of sophisticated and expensive ‘instruments’ as key research infrastructure, and the need to access them in order to be internationally relevant;

• the increasing need for advanced computing and storage capabilities.

These developments have all contributed to a rapid growth in the demand for (and dependence on) communications capacity – sustained growth rates in demand of 50% per annum have been evident for a number of years. An associated and significant factor in the growth in demand has been the growth in remote education, nationally and internationally.

There are a number of specific factors that have also contributed to the disparity evident in regional and remote areas. These include:

• the diffusion of higher education into more locations has resulted in many campuses being developed remote from main communications trunk routes;
• bandwidth capacity at many locations is available only from a single carrier;
• the business model used by carriers for charging the higher education sector is inappropriate in relation to the demands of the sector, leading to higher than appropriate costs.

In general, the impact of these factors has been to reshape and limit the research conducted, as a consequence of limited bandwidth. This has compromised the strategic research and education directions of the sector.

The present situation, while not in crisis, needs addressing as a matter of national priority. Technologically, demand for bandwidth at many locations now exceeds the capability of microwave-based systems to meet needs, and a transition to optical fibre-based systems is necessary. This step change in technology will require investment of significant funds.

It needs to be recognised that some of the disparity and deficiency is a consequence of applying competitive processes in the sector to what inherently needs to be a collaborative activity by the higher education sector as a whole. Such collaboration would allow the higher education sector to use the external competitive environment in telecommunications provision to achieve the best outcomes for higher education research.

Respondents to the Committee’s inquiries were unanimous in stating the importance of bandwidth to the achievement of their strategic goals, and this would seem to provide a cohesive basis for collaboration by the higher education sector.

The Committee recommends that the higher education sector adopts a collaborative, strategic approach to the provision of bandwidth to campuses, and that the Commonwealth make a strategic intervention to establish this collaborative framework.

Specifically, the Committee recommends the establishment of the Australian Research and Education Network (AREN) as a collaborative venture between the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments and the higher education sector, and collaboratively funded by those stakeholders.

AREN will evolve as a network of networks, with special purpose networks such as experimental and special research-focus networks built on a robust underpinning infrastructure. This underpinning infrastructure will comprise backbone infrastructure connecting major research centres, with connections to smaller research centres. Enhanced international connections will be provided to ensure that Australian researchers have opportunities to participate fully in international research collaborations and consortia, and have access to major international research facilities.

The strategic and management framework established for AREN is of major importance. This framework should facilitate participation in planning and use of the network, and encourage use of the network by the research community in particular, and by the higher education sector in general. Encouragement of use of the capacity of AREN is seen as vitally important to Australia’s research outcomes - as network costs are a relatively small component of the total investment in research, the multiplier effect of adequate access to bandwidth capacity for university researchers is high.

It is proposed that an Advisory Committee, called ARENAC, representative of the sector and major stakeholders, be established to develop and review strategies and plans for AREN, and to monitor and review the implementation of the strategic evolution of AREN.

It is further proposed that the AREN be managed by an independent company owned by participants, called ARENMC in this report, and that this company would establish a regime of charges for services which would encourage use of AREN while providing sufficient funds for the company to be financially sustainable. It is recognised that ARENMC, in managing the ‘network of networks’ constituting AREN, may have peering relationships with other networks operated by State RENs in the execution of the plans.

The Committee has established notional targets for bandwidth capacity based on research intensity at campuses as follows:

These targets have been used to establish a strategic plan for the structure of AREN, and to establish indicative costs of developing the network. The needs of different campuses and the feasibility of addressing those needs in the short-term and medium-term have been assessed to establish indicative priorities as a basis for future assessment and funds commitment. Further detailed investigation is required to assess the best options and opportunities in the development of AREN, and it is proposed that ARENAC be charged with this action.

The indicative program of works suggests that the overall investment required to establish the next generation of a research and education network serving the higher education sector is of the order of $50-60 million.

Historically State and Territory Governments and universities have invested significant funds in provision of broadband capacity for research and education. As noted previously, it is important that all potential investments in bandwidth to service the higher education sector be made in the context of the ARENAC strategic plan, and that the Commonwealth investment be used as a catalyst for leveraged investment.

To achieve this, it is suggested that the Commonwealth should seek collaborative investments from State and Territory Governments and from higher education institutions over the next three years to achieve the outcomes proposed in this report over the next three years, and that the Commonwealth investment in this period would be of the order of $35-$40 million.

The Committee recommends:

An Australian Research and Education Network (AREN)

1. The creation of the Australian Research and Education Network (AREN), as a next generation AARNet, to provide the bandwidth needs of researchers associated with the higher education sector (S6.2).

2. That AREN services and capacity be made available to the Australian higher education sector and the wider research community (S6.2).

3. That the Australian Research and Education Network Advisory Committee (ARENAC) be established to:

provide considered advice to investors (Commonwealth, State and Territory governments and research institutions) about the priorities for investment in the further development of the network domestically and internationally (S6.3.2); and

provide strategic directions about the development of the network for the AREN managing company, based on the identified needs of researchers and the investors priorities, using the notional bandwidth targets for campuses and research facilities developed by the Committee as a guide (S6.3.2).

4. That an AREN managing company (ARENMC) be established to manage the network within the broad strategic priorities identified by the ARENAC and that, subject to conditions to be negotiated, AARNet Pty Ltd be requested to undertake this role (S6.3.4).

5. That continuing investment in AREN by all stakeholders, including governments and research institutions using the network, will be necessary to maintain its capability to serve the national and international research infrastructure needs of the higher education sector and directs ARENAC and ARENMC to explore options to ensure the long term viability of the network (S6.3.3).

6. That the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee be asked to stress to its members the critical importance of linking the bandwidth needs of each campus to its research and teaching activities by ensuring that each institution’s bandwidth requirements are specifically addressed in its strategic planning processes (S6.3.1).
7. That target bandwidth capacity levels related to campus characteristics of research staff and students and the presence of major research facilities and concentrations, set for 2005 be considered as the basis for ongoing strategic investments (S5.4.1).
8. The formal relationship between the ANPs and the ARENAC to build on existing collaboration be explored.(S7.4.2)

Initial priorities for addressing bandwidth needs

9. That there is a high priority to address the provision of bandwidth as follows:

the establishment of a sustainable link between Tasmania and the mainland;

the upgrading of the capacity of the connection of Charles Darwin University to AARNet;

the upgrading of the capacity of the links between the Brisbane AARNET PoP and Regional Queensland campuses;

the upgrading of the connections to Southern Cross University; and

that ARENAC should initiate as a matter of priority a process for resolving these issues which will involve discussions between stakeholders, including Commonwealth and State and Territory governments, institutions and AARNet or the ARENMC (S8.2).

10. That international broadband connections are a key element in Australian research capability, and that ARENAC be asked to evaluate options for enhancing this capability, and to recommend to the Minister the necessary actions to be taken (S8.3.3).

Securing access to bandwidth infrastructure

11. That addressing the issue of provision of bandwidth to remote campuses will require ARENMC to negotiate appropriate access to capacity on an unmanaged service basis (S8.2.2).

Future Development of AREN

12. That the conceptual AREN framework and indicative program of works outlined in the report, and ARENAC be requested to bring forward detailed recommendations of priorities for funding in future years (S8.3).

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