The first (1990) asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network in the United States, NREN was a test-bed gigabit network sponsored by the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Previously (1987), a consortium of European carriers, end users, and universities sponsored a similar project known as the Research for Advanced Communications in Europe (RACE) project 1022 (1987). See also RACE.