One such initiative, called Internet2, or sometimes just I-2, is now underway. More than 100 of the nation's top universities and colleges have joined together to create companion technologies that will allow current high-end technological capabilities to work over the Internet. To determine if you can reap the full benefits of the I-2 initiative let us start at your desktop. If your information requirements consist of text, graphics, and images and you are not working in a real time mode, you probably will not require the capabilities that I-2 offers. Most multimedia applications are collaborative or information sharing and are in real time.
Real time constitutes a continuous steam of time sensitive data across a network.
Because of the characteristics of multimedia information, for example, live interactive videoconferencing, dedicated network circuit connections, typically, have been used to handle the traffic. However, dedicated circuit network connections are expensive because additional equipment and multiple connections are required. Typically, multimedia network applications use separate networks. Voice networks are built for voice traffic, as each phone call is an example of a required error-free dedicated time sensitive connection. In addition, video networks are built for video traffic, as each video channel also requires an error-free dedicated bandwidth.