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Example: Early AARNet

The Australian Academic and Research Network (AARNet), connecting all Australian universities and several research establishments, was originally established (circa 1990) with a state-level router in each Australian capital city connecting via leased-line services to the main AARNet hub router in Melbourne. Another leased-line link ran from this router to the USA[2]
 
In this architecture, AARNet retained ownership of all of the routers, and the involvement of the prime telecommunications provider (at that time, Telstra) was limited to providing basic carriage service. Thus, Internet access between universities in Australia originally followed, to some extent, the cooperative model.
 
This architecture has now been replaced by a model whereby an C&W Optus operates as an Internet Service Provider, connecting Regional Networks (eg, the VRN in Victoria) in each state to each other and to the Australian and International Internet.
 
[2] For more information, Roger Clarke has written an excellent history of AARNet.
Lecture 15: Internet Topology and Structure Copyright © 2004 P.Scott, La Trobe University Bendigo.



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