Abstract
The next generation internet (NGI) or Internet2 is an initiative for the integration of higher speed backbone communication networks as a means to replace the current inadequate Internet for many applications including medical imaging. This paper first reviews the current status of the Internet2 and reasons why telemedicine and teleradiology require its service. A case study is given using the private ATM OC‐3 network at the Laboratory for Radiological Informatics, UCSF as an example for connecting a local site to the Internet2. Network security and data integrity are discussed in both the global and the local network level. Some preliminary results on Internet2 performance in the regional and the national level, as well as comparing with other WAN technologies are given.