Abstract:

The field of Higher Education was one of the main aereas in which was created what we now know as Internet. Its first steps, deployment and continuous updating had close relationship with achieving solutions to scientific and academic needs.

From the beginning, connectivity grew exponentially, creating a strong intra and inter-university network, quickly spreading to multiple spaces and activities. The "quality of service" as a basic requirement, generated the necessity for "another network" promoting Advanced Networks or Internet 2 in the US.

These processes have focused on developing all over the world a strong academic connectivity with major investments and high institutional participation in Advanced Academic Networks.

Progressively users have been changing the way and devices from which they access the digital resources to carry out their activities, fundamentally being no longer connected from a fixed location.

This situation force to extend the service “beyond the limits” of institutional local area networks in science and education, spreading the benefits to homes and mobile platforms in general, continuing the idea of satisfying the requirements.

Here is presented the new oportunity created for Higher Education to be a prime contributor in the challenge of reducing the digital divide, by promoting the deployment of metropolitan networks, which, in conjunction with supplementing the core of high quality, would enable the sought connectivity by co-sharing the infrastructure and management between private entities, the state and academia.

Keywords:

Academic Networks, Digital Divide, Accessibility, Mobile Platforms, Metropolitan Network.