At Internet2 TechEx 2025, global developments in research and education (R&E) network infrastructure were high on the agenda. In a well-attended update, Brenna Meade (International Networks, Indiana University) shared an overview of key steps being taken worldwide to scale capacity, resilience, and automation in federated network services.
Major capacity upgrades, including transoceanic links
Meade outlined a broad range of ongoing and planned upgrades across international backbone and exchange infrastructures. This included new 400 Gbps transoceanic links—critical for data-intensive research and collaboration across continents. She also highlighted activity and continued evolution across multiple Global Exchange Points (GXPs), including FUJI-XP, SOE, GOREX, MANLAN, MOXY, NetherLight, and Pacific Wave. Together, these hubs form an important foundation for high-performance global connectivity between R&E networks.
NSI reaches production readiness
A key milestone highlighted in the session: NSI (Network Service Interface) has reached production readiness. NSI enables interoperable, automated service provisioning across network domains. In practice, this supports standardized ways for organizations and networks to request, set up, and manage end-to-end services across multiple administrative boundaries.
For NRENs, this aligns closely with the push toward scalable, federated connectivity: less manual coordination, faster delivery of services, and more reusable interfaces and operational agreements between domains. Reaching production readiness is therefore a concrete step toward more automated and dependable international network service ecosystems.
Technology—and the community behind it
Beyond the technical program, TechEx continues to stand out as a strong community meeting point. Informal conversations between sessions, sharing experiences across very different operating contexts, and social traditions such as the 5K fun run all reinforce the trust and relationships that are essential to building and operating resilient infrastructure.
In summary: TechEx 2025 underscored how global R&E networks are moving forward on both capacity and automation—with NSI marking a notable step toward interoperable, federated service delivery.
