The NGI ONRAMP test bed: regional access WDM technology for the next generation Internet

The challenge in regional access networks is to provide interfaces to the enormous data pipes provided by WDM wide area networks that allow efficient and dynamic routing and multiplexing of disperse users, with the emphasis on Internet applications. This challenge is the focus of the DARPA-sponsored NGI ONRAMP consortium, a precompetitive consortium. NGI ONRAMP is an acronym for the next generation internet optical network for regional access using multi-wavelength protocols. The goal of the consortium is to design and build a regional access network which exploits WDM and other emerging technologies to support next generation internet.