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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 04, 2004 LambdaRail Adds Six Members New Technologies Threaten to Usurp 3G More Definition for High-Definition TV LAMBDARAIL ADDS SIX MEMBERS Developers of the National LambdaRail, a fiber-optic network being built by a group of research universities, this week announced the addition of six new members. With the additions, the network will cover most of the United States. The National LambdaRail network--which has comparable speed to that of Abilene, the network operated by Internet2--will transmit data at four separate optical wavelengths, giving it four times the capacity of Abilene. Abilene is currently the nation's fastest network. National LambdaRail will reportedly expand its capacity to as much as 40 separate wavelengths, and groups of users may one day be able to lease individual wavelengths on the network. Thomas W. West, president and chief executive of National LambdaRail, said the organization is selecting new members based on location in order to create full coverage for the country. The new members are the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Oklahoma State Board of Regents, the Texas Lonestar Education and Research Network, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Cornell University, and the University of New Mexico. Institutions must pay $5 million over five years to join National LambdaRail. Chronicle of Higher Education, 3 June 2004 http://chronicle.com/free/2004/06/2004060301n.htm NEW TECHNOLOGIES THREATEN TO USURP 3G Even as third-generation mobile phone services (3G) are being introduced, newer technologies promise better performance and lower cost. Deployment of 3G networks, also called UMTS, is about two years behind schedule, and early speed predictions of 2 megabits per second have not been realized. Top speeds are currently less than 400 kilobits a second and are expected to decrease with heavy network usage. Developers of a new technology called Flash-OFDM, in contrast, say their standard is capable of greater speeds for one-tenth the cost of 3G service. Another technology called WiMAX, which is supported by Intel, promises high-speed wireless communication at distances of up to 28 miles. Complicating the picture for wireless phone providers is a condition attached to radio-frequency licenses requiring that they be used for 3G networks. The condition was added to encourage adoption of a single standard. European regulators, however, are considering easing that restriction, which would allow operators to use their spectrum for other services, including Flash-OFDM or WiMAX. Wired News, 3 June 2004 http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,63700,00.html MORE DEFINITION FOR HIGH-DEFINITION TV Japanese researchers are working on a successor to HDTV that they say is intended to be so clear as to rival actually being in the place on TV. So-called Ultra High Definition Video (UHDV) is expected to have a resolution of 7,680 by 4,320 pixels, for a total of 32 million pixels. This compares to just 2 million pixels for HDTV. UHDV uses the same 16:9 ratio that HDTV uses, but it expands the field of view from HDTV's 30 degrees to 100 degrees, the point at which, according to one researcher, the "immersive sensation" reaches its peak. UHDV also increases the channels for sound to more than 20. Developers of UHDV said the technology has potential uses far beyond simple entertainment, including art, medicine, and education. Limitations of the technology include the ability of projection tools to create sufficient light contrast, and UHDV uses an enormous amount of storage space and network bandwidth. New York Times, 3 June 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/03/technology/circuits/03next.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. For information on EDUCAUSE publications see http://www.educause.edu/pub/ ***************************************************** CONFERENCES For information on all EDUCAUSE learning and networking opportunities, see http://www.educause.edu/conference/ ***************************************************** COPYRIGHT Edupage copyright (c) 2004, EDUCAUSE
