The North America – Research Education Exchange (NA-REX) is a collaboration among seven advanced research and education (R&E) networks and exchange point consortia to provide a high-performance experimental network service connecting global exchange points in North America. The collaboration supports global science research and scholarship through coordinated infrastructure, service integration, and collaborative outreach. 

NA-REX participants are:

• AMPATH
• CANARIE
• Energy Sciences Network (ESnet)
• International Networks at Indiana University (IN@IU)
• Internet2
• Pacific Wave
• StarLight and the Metropolitan Research and Education Network (MREN)

NA-REX is an expansion of a pilot project initiated by Internet2 and Pacific Wave in 2019. The initial pilot established 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) interconnectivity between two exchange point consortia on the U.S. East and West Coasts. It also laid the groundwork for operational coordination among project support teams.

It included an express 100 Gbps interconnect of Pacific Wave exchange points in Los Angeles, Sunnyvale, and Seattle, WIX in Washington, D.C., and MAN LAN in Manhattan, New York. The interconnect included a dedicated optical path from California to Virginia with backup paths via the Southern and Northern U.S., creating robust high-capacity interconnection between these five exchange point locations. 

Starting in 2024, NA-REX plans to deploy additional 100 and 400 Gbps circuits on existing R&E infrastructure to further interconnect exchange points throughout the U.S. and in Canada. The reach will include exchange points in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New York, Seattle, Sunnyvale, and Washington, D.C. 

These locations are key interconnection points where global research networks from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Pacific Islands, and South America connect to North American networks such as CANARIE in Canada, CUDI in Mexico, ESnet and Internet2 in the U.S., as well as to each other.