[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 59 (Tuesday, May 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S4744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NEXT GENERATION INTERNET

 Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise today in support of S. 1609, 
the ``Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998.'' This legislation 
funds six agencies that are involved in creating advanced computer 
networking technology that will make tomorrow's Internet faster, more 
versatile, more affordable, and more accessible than today. The Next 
Generation Internet (NGI) is an advanced research program which fosters 
partnerships among academia, industry, and Federal laboratories to 
develop and experiment with technologies that will enable more 
powerful, flexible information networks in the 21st century. The 
overall objective of the program is to perform fundamental research in 
technologies that will accelerate the development of a high-speed, 
high-quality network infrastructure to support revolutionary 
applications.
  The Internet is a prototypical success story. There are in fact, 
multiple dimensions to its success. It was a successful public-private 
collaboration. It demonstrated successful commercial application of 
technology developed as part of a mission-directed research program. It 
exhibited a successful transition of an operational system from the 
public to the private sector. And most importantly, it is a prime 
example of a successful Federal investment.
  In some respects the Internet is now ``suffering'' from too much 
success. We are currently constrained by the capacity and capabilities 
of today's Internet technologies, which were not designed for either 
the scale or mode of its current use. Even though new applications and 
dramatic private investment have increased the Internet's abilities, 
technological bottlenecks have sprung up throughout the system.
  The Next Generation Internet comes at a crucial juncture in the 
development of the nation's information infrastructure. During the 
period of NGI-sponsored research, the telecommunications backbone of 
the US will likely undergo a dramatic transition in which the levels of 
packet-based traffic will surpass that of conventional telephone 
traffic. The speed and degree of the impending transition is indicative 
of the urgency with which the NGI goals must be pursued and the results 
of that research transition to the commercial sector.
  Recently, I had a first-hand look at some of these advanced 
applications. Highway 1, a non-profit organization established to 
educate Members of Congress and their staffs about the Internet and 
associated technical developments, showcased several remarkable 
projects. As a physician, I was intrigued by the virtual reality 
``Immersion Desk'' collaboration demonstration. Using special glasses, 
I was able to take a guided tour of the human ear, observing its 
structure in three dimensions, and able to interact with the guided and 
the structure in ``real time''. It was immediately obvious to me the 
educational benefits that will evolve from putting similar devices into 
the hands of our nation's teachers and students. Sophisticated 
applications, such as the ones I witnessed at Highway 1, place heavy 
technical demands upon the network. However, until the Internet's 
infrastructure limitations have been overcome, these applications will 
remain outside the reach of those who benefit the most.
  Some of the limitations that now impede advanced applications can be 
mastered through a straightforward application of the existing 
technology, but there is an entire class of problems that requires new 
approaches. I believe that our nation's research and development 
enterprise hold the key. The Next Generation Internet program will 
provide grants to our universities and national laboratories to perform 
the research that will surmount these technical challenges and create 
the technology that will energize the Internet of tomorrow.
  Mr. President, I believe that passage of this legislation will 
continue the tradition of prudent and successful investment in science 
and technology. The Next Generation Internet Research Act will help 
ensure that the Internet reaches its maximum potential to provide 
greater education and economic benefits to the country.

                          ____________________