The WorldCom scandal could force the second migration this year of Janet, the electronic network that links universities, colleges and the research councils.
Robin Arak, chief executive of the UK Education and Research Networking Association, is developing plans to put alternative infrastructure in place should WorldCom - which provides the SuperJanet infrastructure - cease trading.
Last month, both providers used to connect Janet to the US internet - TeleGlobe UK and KPNQwest - stopped trading.