CERFNET meaning in Computing ?

The California Education and Research Federation Network (CERFnet) is a mid-level network service provider based in California. CERFnet was one of the NSFNET regional networks and a co-founder of the Commercial Internet eXchange (CIX). The CERFnet network was founded in January 1988 by Susan Estrada of the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), received partial funding of $2.8 million by the National Science Foundation a year later, and was fully operational by November 1989, linking together 38 California research centers. The network was operated by the SDSC and General Atomics.