Jan 16, 2008OzIPortal Presentation
by Christina Buckridge
The University of Melbourne has unveiled the powerful next generation of high definition ultra-broadband in a real-time demonstration linking the University of Melbourne's 'OzIPortal' and the University of California San Diego (UCSD).
The OzIPortal's ultra-resolution OptIPortal visualisation wall – the largest in Australia – enabled scientists, industry leaders and politicians in Melbourne and participants in the Australian American Leadership Dialogue's West Coast Leadership Dialogue at UCSD to take part in an interactive demonstration.
This Australian first brings the OptIPortal and one gigabit per second super-broadband networking together through the cutting-edge expertise of two of the world's leading telecommunications research units – the University of Melbourne School of Engineering's Centre for Ultra Broadband Information Networks (CUBIN) and the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), a UCSD/University of California Irvine partnership (see feature).
From a front row seat in the 'OzIPortal' Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Victorian Premier John Brumby, Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science & Research Senator Kim Carr, and Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, discussed the technology across the Pacific in real time with Director of Calit2, Professor Larry Smarr – one of the 'architects' of the internet, and University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis, who were in San Diego.
Putting the technology to the test were presentations by University of Melbourne neuroscientist Professor Graeme Jackson, and water researcher Professor John Langford.
The link-up to San Diego was made possible by the high-capacity backbone of AARNet, Australia's academic and research network.
Funding for OptIPortal has come from the Victorian Government ($120,000) and the University of Melbourne ($500,000).
Professor Davis says the OzIPortal is a powerful communication tool which will push new boundaries for higher education and research in Australia.