Unlike many Advanced Research Networks (ARNs), NYSERNet does not offer commercial Internet service (CIS) via its backbone network, focusing instead on advancing the research and education capabilities of the network. NYSERNet believes that commercial ISPs are better suited to provide the CIS-related support, services and performance guarantees its members require, as well as offering economies of scale and pricing levels NYSERNet cannot achieve given its limited market. Furthermore, NYSERNet believes that only by having multiple Internet connections with diverse providers on diverse network paths can any institution maintain suitable availability of this mission critical service.
To help members achieve their network availability and performance goals at a reasonable cost, NYSERNet participates in a national CIS buying club operated by The Quilt, a consortium of providers of advanced regional network services, like NYSERNet, working together to promote the delivery of low-cost, high-performance network services to the research and education community.
The Quilt undertakes a biennial effort to identify Internet service providers qualified to provide services to Quilt members. The Quilt seeks vendors willing to offer discounts based on the aggregate Quilt bandwidth purchase (now approaching 100 Gb) and which are willing to advance the technologies deployed in their networks; The Quilt is keenly interested in promoting support for Ethernet, IPv6, jumbo frames, and multicast in the commercial Internet.
The Quilt's CIS RFP process is central to this quest. From this process, the Quilt selects several vendors with which it negotiates master services agreements (MSA). Each MSA sets the pricing and terms the vendor (called a Quilt Authorized Provider or QAP) agrees to extend to Quilt members, as well as the details of the associated discount mechanisms. The Quilt's 2010 RFP process recently concluded. Level3, TeliaSonera (TSIC), Cogent, Time Warner Telecom, Qwest, Internet2 (Level3) and NLR (TSIC) are the QAPs.
If you are interested in learning more about this program and the benefits it offers, please contact NYSERNet to discuss your institution's needs and the QAP options available. To participate in this program, your institution must be a registered QAB. QAB status is open to any dues-paying member of NYSERNet.
Click here If you wish to be contacted by a Member Services representative about this service.
[ PDF version | The Quilt FAQ PDF ]
