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Mbone (short for "multicast backbone") is an experimental backbone for IP Multicast traffic across the Internet. Since most Internet routers do not yet support IP Multicast, the Mbone has evolved to connect multicast-capable networks over the existing Internet infrastructure. It is anticipated that the Mbone will eventually become obsolete as more routers understand and forward IP Multicast traffic, which is a standard feature in IPv6. The commercialization of multicast routers is difficult because there are no efficient access control capabilities to the multicast trees (multicast routers and their protocols), and because Internet Service Providers have difficulty computing charges for multicast traffic.
Mbone is currently of practical use for shared communication such as videoconferences or shared collaborative workspaces. It is not generally connected to Internet service provider, but often to universities and research institutions. Some other projects and network testbeds, such as Internet2's Abilene Network, have made Mbone obsolete.
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