A super high-speed global Internet devoted solely to science and
education has just expanded to include half the countries of the world,
and yes, you at home can be jealous.

The Taj network, funded by the National Science Foundation, now
connects India, Singapore, Vietnam and Egypt to the larger Global Ring
Network for Advanced Application Development (GLORIAD) global
infrastructure, and "dramatically improves existing U.S. network links
with China and the Nordic region," according to an NSF statement.

The combined GLORIAD-Taj fiber-optic network is aimed at helping scientists collaborate,
and to improve education in schools and universities. The network
offers large-bandwidth connections for scientists and educators who
seek to avoid the often bogged-down Internet the rest of us are stuck with.

Your child may have used the setup at school, but there are no plans to make it available for home use.

"Scientists deal with lots and lots of high-intensity data, and this
dedicated other system enables transfer of huge amounts of data quickly
and efficiently," explained NSF spokesperson Lisa-Joy Zgorski. She
added, however, that it's not an elitist network.

"This is not aimed to only connect the scientific elite, but to
bring science to the world through schools and universities," Zgorski
told LiveScience.

GLORIAD started as a 1997 NSF-funded project that created MIRNET,
connecting scientists in the United States and Russia. In 2004, it was
expanded to China, Korea, Canada and five Nordic countries. The
cyber-network now reaches half the countries on the planet and 10
million IP addresses for an estimated 30 million or more users. A new
exchange point in Alexandria, Egypt, allows ties throughout the Middle
East, Africa and Central Asia and the Caucasus regions.

Among other uses, the network is employed to remotely operate
telescopes and microscopes. It's particularly useful for data-intensive
visualizations. Researchers can carve out portions of the network for
specific, uninterrupted long-distance collaborations that might include
a lot of video conferencing and other intensive data exchange.

"Science is increasingly data-driven and collaborative, and does not
respect national borders," said Ed Seidel, acting assistant director of
NSF's Math and the Physical Sciences Directorate. "High-speed optical
networks are critical to both national and international scientific
efforts."

Some data for geeks: The upgrade beefed up U.S.-China network service by a factor of 4, from 2.5 Gbps to 10 Gbps.

GLORIAD's Taj Network is not the same as "Internet 2," a domestic project aimed at connecting U.S. scientists with one another.

10 Profound Innovations Ahead
Internet Groupthink Throttles Creativity
Fuzzy Future for the Internet 'Cloud'
Original Story: High-Speed 'Other' Internet Goes GlobalLiveScience.com chronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology. We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short, provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzes and Top 10s. Join our community to debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climate change and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters, register for RSS feeds and get cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.