Generally, all institutions and organisations involved in research, education and training are eligible to connect. This includes universities, research institutes, hospitals, K-12 schools, vocational training providers, galleries, libraries, archives and museums. Detailed guidelines can be found in Section 3.1 of the AARNet Access Policy.

Dark fibre and passive wavelengths are the most common technologies we use to connect our optical network to your site. These technologies can also be used to interconnect geographically dispersed facilities and campuses. Sometimes, depending on the location of the site, we will investigate and use alternative technologies, such as radio or laser connections, or third-party carrier services.

Connections to AARNet are delivered direct from our optical network or Network Access Point (NAP) sites to a Network Termination Unit (NTU) installed at your site, which can operate at either 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) or multiples of 10 Gbps. This 'trunk' can then be used to deliver multiple services at any given time. You can connect as many, or as few, AARNet connectivity services at each campus as you need. We work closely with you to determine the best bandwidth, performance and connection options for your needs.