This award enables enhancement of an existing statewide academic network for North Dakota. The network has 12 nodes, 11 of which are state-supported institutions of higher learning, and one is a state government agency. One of the nodes now connects to NSFNET through NORTHWESTNET, and will provide connectivity for the other state nodes. The award allows for installation at each higher education site of a router which can accomodate both TCP/IP and a proprietary protocol currently being used. The existing transmission line speed is being upgraded from 56,000 bits per second to 1.544 million bits per second. The network continues to be operated by a state government agency, and owned and managed by the state government and the higher education computer network. Duration of the award is two years.
