Q and A:
Fiber optic networks and the future
 Northern
Illinois University Professor David Gunkel specializes in
computer-mediated communication, cyberspace, Web design
and programming, and cyberculture. He is an award-winning
interactive media designer and author of the book "Hacking
Cyberspace." What follows is a Q and A with Professor
Gunkel regarding NIUNet.
What is the significance of establishing the fiber
optic-based NIUNet?
When we talk about the next generation of the Internet—including
3-dimensional models and virtual reality applications—fiber
is the future. It makes possible our entry into virtual
worlds. The Web as we know it will evolve from a text and
static image experience into a fully immersive, 3-dimensional
environment. From a techie point of view, the real advantage
of fiber-optic networks is increased bandwidth. In a sense,
that’s the whole thing. Fiber optics gives us the
opportunity to pass vast amounts of information through
the system quicker than most of us can imagine.
Why is it important for the region to be wired
with a fiber-optic network?
Think of the development of the railroad at the turn of
the previous century. When the railroad was established,
towns sprung up because of access to the rapid and efficient
transportation. Towns that weren’t located near the
railroad died. The fiber-optic network is like the railroad
track—it will hold a power of attraction. And, just
as with the railroad, because Chicago is at the crossroads
of the country, wiring the region is extremely important.
How could medicine/hospitals benefit from the use
of a fiber ring connecting the region to other fiber networks
worldwide?
The increased bandwidth of fiber makes for fast transportation
of medical data. Right now if you attempted to transmit
an MRI, CAT scan or X-ray to another hospital, the transfer
could take half a day or more. Hospitals with pure fiber-optic
connections will be able to transport the data much faster,
and with better resolution and fidelity. Doctors also will
have quick access to massive databases, and hospitals will
be able to quickly download multi-media materials for training.
What’s even more exciting is the potential of telepresence,
which requires massive amounts of data that can only be
transmitted over the increased bandwidth of fiber. Doctors
in one part of the world could perform surgery on patients
in other parts of the world using teleoperated robotic tools.
This has already been done in the United States. The advance
of telepresence is especially important for rural areas
that might not have local access to specialists and cutting-edge
surgical techniques. It’s a way to virtually bring
the doctor to the patient, instead of physically transporting
the patient to the doctor.
How will fiber-optic networks help communities
attract business?
The networks will only attract those businesses and industries
that require high-speed fiber-optic transmissions. The number
of businesses relying on the new technology will, however,
grow exponentially. If the fiber backbone is close to your
community, it will become very attractive to connect to
it. Equally important, communities that have the fiber infrastructure
will attract "telecommuters," professionals who
will make virtual commutes to work each day. You could live
in Small Town, Illinois and make a virtual commute to Manhattan.
This is important for the self preservation of rural towns,
which are losing their citizens to metropolitan business
centers.
NIU is now a member of Internet2, an advanced ultra-fast
experimental Internet that runs on a fiber-optic network.
What does this mean for our researchers at the university?
NIU faculty and student researchers will have at their
desktop almost instantaneous access to very large databases
and online libraries of audio and video provided on demand.
With the standard Internet technology, it would simply take
too long to transmit such data-intensive material. The new
technology will eventually make such things as inter-library
loans obsolete.
Can you give us some examples of Internet2 projects?
With its greater bandwidth, Internet2 is capable of distributing
fully immersive, virtual worlds to students and teachers
located all over the world. Researchers can create all types
of three-dimensional virtual environments for research,
collaboration and communication. Geologists can recreate
the early Earth. Engineers and physicists can create models
of complex dynamic systems. Also, researchers worldwide
can meet in a virtual space to work with and to discuss
those models.
One common example of Internet2 capabilities is teleconferencing.
Let’s say researchers at NIU want to hold a worldwide
conference on Southeast Asia, one of our research specialties.
Conference attendees from all corners of the globe can meet
and interact in a virtual environment instead of traveling
to and occupying the same geographical place. Or an NIU
mathematician might meet with a Russian mathematician in
a virtual space to discuss a new model. Think of it as an
enhanced telephone call, where you transmit not just your
voice but also gestures and facial expressions. Consequently,
Internet2 offers all kinds of possibilities for the production
of different modes of learning and the creation of entirely
different kinds of educational materials. Instead of publishing
a paper or a textbook, for example, researchers might begin
to think of building more interactive models that make for
much more compelling educational resources.
Of course, for the average academic who uses e-mail and
surfs the Web, Internet2 won’t make much of a difference.
But for researchers who are involved in complex data manipulation
and/or the use of visual models—such as our engineers,
mathematicians, scientists, communication experts and bioinformatics
specialists—they will need Internet2 capabilities.
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