First transatlantic native 10-GigE link lit

Researchers at CANARIE, SURFnet, Carleton University and CERN established the first transatlantic connection using native 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology, which they demonstrated at the ITU Telecom World 2003 exhibition. Spanning more than 10,000 km, the network consisted of a SURFnet optical circuit between CERN and the StarLight facility in Chicago via Amsterdam, Netherlands and another optical circuit between StarLight and Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, provided by CANARIE and ORANO. The assembly of these circuits formed a point-to-point optical link between CERN and Carleton University. Ethernet equipment vendors Force10 Networks and Cisco Systems also participated in the event.