This paper describes an architectural design and related services of a new Japanese academic backbone network, called SINET5, which will be launched in April 2016. The network will cover all 47 prefectures with 100-Gigabit Ethernet technology and connect each pair of prefectures with a minimized latency. This will enable users to leverage evolving cloud-computing powers as well as draw on a high-performance platform for data-intensive applications. The transmission layer will form a fully meshed, SDN-friendly, and reliable network. The services will evolve to be more dynamic and cloud-oriented in response to user demands. Cyber-security measures for the backbone network and tools for performance acceleration and visualization are also discussed.

We propose a next-generation service-transport separated network architecture that uses packet technology. The transport network is responsible for the high speed and reliable bit transfer, and the service network is responsible for many types of network services. This separation makes it possible for the next-generation network to achieve both rapid bandwidth spreading and the speedy installation of new services. We also propose a next-generation transport network using the multi-protocol label switching transport profile (MPLS-TP) and optical networking technologies.