In 1998
In April the first IPv6 test bed in China was set up, named CERNET-IPv6. As the first one in China which had registered officially in the international organization 6BONE, it adapted the IPv6 over IPv4 tunnel technology, connecting 8 metropolises. Getting approval of 6BONE, CERNET obtained the first batch of IPv6 addresses and established the first core node of 6BONE in China.
In August started the study of IPv6 technology based on CERNET-IPv6, known as IPv6 model system, one subject of National 863 Project. That study had achieved a lot in backbone network construction, router technique, transition technique, search engine and network behaviorism, as well as contributed to the development of IPv6 in China.

In 1999
In January scholars from CERNET, CSTNET, UCAID, ICANN, vBNS and Abilene, participated in “Chinese-America Networking Symposium CANS 1999” in US.
In February CERNET and CSTNET appointed delegates to the meeting of “Asia- Pacific Advanced Network Consortium (APAN)” held in Japan. The APAN-CN workgroup was formed during this meeting.
In May CERNET connected officially with the 6REN, which offered academic IPv6 service throughout the world.
In November CERNET was in charge of the construction of NSFCNET. Nature Science Foundation of China provide financial fund for this combined project. 2001, the first demonstration network NSFCNET was constructed in Beijing, pioneering in employing the DWDM technique. It offered a tri-leveled high-speed internet architecture: network infrastructure, network service and network application. This demonstration network provides an advance experimental environment for the study of next-generation Internet theory and application in China.
In December CERNET cooperated with Nokia Corp to build an IPv6 test bed in Beijing.

In 2000
In March CERNET signed Connection Agreement with international next-generation Internet. 29 March, the delegate of CERNET to Internet2 meeting in America signed MoU with the chairman of UCAID, and the agreement concerning the connection between CERNET and Abilene. In the end of May this year, UCAID subscribed a quadra-level cooperation memorandum with CERNET, CSTNET and NSFCNET.
In August the APAN meeting was held in Beijing.
In September with aid of the Ministry of Information Industry, China Telecommunication and China Netcom Company donated the 10Mbps international line connecting with Japan and America respectively. In the same year, the first Internet exchange point of next-generation DRAGONTAP was built up at Tsinghua University. It was a realization of interconnection with APAN for the first time and CERNET was accepted as a member of APAN in 2000.
In October CERNET carried out the service of IPv6 addresses assignment in China.

In 2001
In March implement interconnection with Internet2.
In August a specialist of CERNET was elected vice president of APAN.

In 2002
In January, China-Japan IPv6 Cooperation Project of Next-generation Internet was taken into action. Receiving support from former State Planning Commission and Ministry of Economy of Japan, CERNET and Japanese Communication Industry Union shared the responsibility of lancing this project, which aimed at establishing IPv6-CJ, the China-Japan IPv6 trial network connecting Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The project would make research based on IPv6, including key network technology, network management and network application, etc. In the meantime, it would set and form the standards of IPv6. This project was approved in 2003 by National Development and Reform Commission.
In May Tsinghua university and some other institutions began a key item of 863 project, called the integrated experimental environment for the new generation network technology. December 2003, a regional IPv6 trial network (863-IPv6) was established in Beijing, which adopted IPv6 high-performance routers and other network equipment developed by some universities, including Tsinghua.
In August National Development and Reform Commission founded the next-generation internet development strategy study specialist commission, which marked the beginning of a soft-science program called next-generation Internet development strategy study. Office for the specialists involved is located at CERNET network center. As production of their great effort and the leadership of National Development and Reform Commission, Report on Next-generation Internet Developmental Strategy Study was finished in 2002, and Suggestions on Next-generation Internet Demonstration Project Implementation in China came into being in May 2002.

In 2003
In June CERNET was awarded “COMPUTERWORLD” Global Informational Technology Contribution Award and nominated Gold Award for its achievement in the study over next-generation internet in China.
In August “referendum of next-generation Internet development in China” submitted by 8 commissions, with National Development and Reform Commission in, was consented by State Council. Chinese Next-generation Internet Demonstration Project CNGI started to operate. Consigned by NDRC, Chinese Academy of Engineering invited public bidding for the construction work of core network of CNGI. CERNET submitted CNGI backbone construction plan and won the bidding by competition to undertake the largest next generation network backbone in China named CERNET2.
In December the Ministry of Science and Technology of China authorized “Research of Future Internet Architecture”, a project in the national basic research program (973 Project) in 2003.  A Specialist from CERNET was assigned the chief scientist.

In 2004
In January, CERNET, together with eight international next generation networks announced the opening of global IPv6 network services;
In March, formally opened CERNET2 trial network and offered related service;
In September, the proposal of CERNET2 backbone deployment was approved by the Ministry of Education of China, which will be undertaken by 25 key research universities for 20 PoPs.
In December, opened CERNET2 backbone PoPs distributed in 20 cities with 10G transmission rate;

In 2005
started the initiatives of CNGI technical trials, application demonstrations and industrialization.

update:2006-1-11