The Internet is 40 years old and some researchers are wanting to scrap the entire system and start from scratch again. Interestingly, these researchers believe that starting again with a "clean slate" is the best way to deal with all the problems of the Internet, such as security and mobility. There is a need according to some researchers on the need for a complete overhaul in the way the system works, which would replace the way that the Internet functions.
The National Science Foundation wants to build an experimental research network known as the "Global Environment for Network Innovations," or GENI, and is funding several projects at universities and elsewhere through Future Internet Network Design, or FIND. Rutgers, Stanford, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are among the universities pursuing individual projects. Other government agencies, including the Defense Department, have also been exploring the concept. The European Union has also backed research on such initiatives, through a program known as "Future Internet Research and Experimentation," or FIRE. Government officials and researchers met last month in Zurich to discuss early findings and goals.
