Internet2 is higher-tech version of regular Internet

More than 400 college students are being sued for allegedly swapping pirated music files over a super-fast computer network called Internet2. The Recording Industry Association of America, the music industry trade group behind the lawsuits, claims that the students have "hijacked" Internet2 and turned it into a tool for massive music piracy. (Related: College students face lawsuits) But few people have heard of Internet2. USA TODAY reporter Michelle Kessler explains this other Internet.

What is Internet2?

Think of Internet2 as a higher-tech version of the regular Internet. Like "Internet1," Internet2 connects computers all across the country. But it uses newer, more experimental technology. That can make it less stable than Internet1 — but it's also about 100 times as fast under typical conditions.

Who gets to use it?

More than 200 universities and 60 companies belong to Internet2, as do a handful of organizations and government agencies. To join, members must contribute research toward "developing a better Internet," says Douglas Van Houweling, CEO of the non-profit group that runs Internet2. It is not open to the public.

Who pays for it?

Users pay fees to the non-profit that administers the network. A typical university would pay about $200,000 a year. Government agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, also provide some funding.

Is it connected to the regular Internet?

No, it's a separate network. Internet2 users can only contact other Internet2 users. That's why all the accused file-swappers are college students.

The original Internet works fine. Why is Internet2 needed?

In 1969, the University of California at Los Angeles and Stanford University set up a simple computer network that could send data back and forth between the two campuses. For more than 20 years, academics tinkered with this network and its successors. They used the networks to test computer technology and send research data.

In the early 1990s, commercial interest in one of the successor networks, now called the Internet, soared. Web pages popped up, and suddenly it became impractical to tinker with the network for research projects. Scientists wanted their own network again, and in 1996, created Internet2.

What kind of work is done on Internet2?

Research, mostly. At the University of Missouri-Rolla, nuclear engineers use it to send high-quality video links to labs at other universities. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), biomedical researchers use it to access giant genetic databases. At Wichita State University, mathematicians use it to tap into distant supercomputers. "It's been a great resource," says Wichita computing director Gary Ott. Companies such as Cisco Systems and IBM also use Internet2 to test networking technologies.

How do you use Internet2?

At many schools, Internet2 is combined with Internet1 behind the scenes. A student sending e-mail will have all her messages travel across Internet1, until she e-mails a student at another Internet2 university. That message travels over Internet2. "It's transparent to users," says David Shealy, academic computing director at UAB.

Will Internet2 ever be open to the public?

Probably not. But the technologies developed in Internet2 will gradually be transferred to the original Internet, making it faster and more stable. The goal is to "create the next-generation Internet," says network director Brian Buege of the University of Missouri-Rolla.