There's been talk of a second Internet in the works for years -- yes we do have Web 2.0 -- and just as the original Internet started at the university-level, so does a project from technology solutions firm BBN Technologies called Global Environment for Network Innovations, or GENI.

GENI is a local network infrastructure for science and research projects -- think of it as a network testbed for innovation, suggests an article by the Chronicle for Higher Education. According to the academic journal, the current Internet could fall apart from all the spam attacks and viruses.

BBN Technologies today received a three-year, $4 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to build a prototype of GENI with the help of 29 university teams.

This project will provide fresh bandwidth for companies to work on experiments in all fields from economics and social sciences to computer engineering.

It will be interesting to see what form this futuristic network takes.