CA*net 3 - Canada's National Optical Internet
			    Bill St Arnaud
		      Director Network Projects
			       CANARIE

CA*net 3 is believed to be the world's first national optical Internet
research network. The research focus of CA*net 3 will primarily be on
the pragmatic design and architectural issues of building a wide area
"production quality" optical Internet network. An optical Internet for
the purposes of this project is defined as a network where the
individual WDM wavelengths on a optical fiber are the link layer
interconnection between high performance routers located at major
nodes across the country.  Some intrinsic characteristics of Internet
traffic such as its self similar nature, server bound congestion,
routing and data asymmetry allow for the possibility of building an
optical Internet network without requiring the traditional SONET and
ATM link layer switching and protection services.  It is proposed that
the CA*net 3 R&D program will investigate the concept of using of both
the working and protection fibers in a typical WAN network and use
advanced IP congestion flow and routing techniques to flow control and
re-route traffic in the event of a fiber cut. It is also proposed that
the project will also investigate other advanced WDM and SONET routing
techniques such as WDM channel switching, WDM cut through, SONET cut
through and label switching, asymmetric wavelength routing, etc