House to get faster computer network

House Administration Committee Chairman Bob Ney, R-Ohio, announced on Monday that the speed and reliability of the House's computer network will be improved significantly over the next eight months. Upgrades to the Campus Data Network, known as the "House backbone," will help improve performance between lawmakers' offices in Washington and their districts, Ney said. The project calls for: doubling the speed of the network, providing faster connections to it, enhancing its reliability, providing dual Internet connections, and upgrading the wiring between offices. A new security firewall also will be installed during September to protect House systems against Internet-based threats. Upgrades will start in the Capitol and the Cannon House Office Building. The project should be completed by February. "These individual improvements mean the House will have a modern and capable data infrastructure that will support faster and more diverse traffic with increased reliability, security and availability," Ney said.