This article will describe basic concepts, technical structures, status and future extension plans of the implementation of a high-speed network for the DFN- community. After an introduction about the status of DFN in chapter 2 our concept is described. Due to the high costs for leased lines in Germany DFN has chosen a stepwise approach. In the first phase regional high-speed networks will form the start-up solution. This reduces clearly the needed budget for the lines. Further on from the very beginning a number of dedicated users and advanced applications should be available which really need the new capacity. Thus, the implementation of the regional networks is accompanied by projects which realize and use advanced applications. For the technical implementation a combination of ATM and router technology on top of leased lines was chosen. In chapter 3 the proceedure for realisation is shortly presented. Among several proposals DFN has chosen five so called Regional Testbeds for realisation: Bavaria, Baden- Württemberg (BaWü), Berlin, North Germany and North-Rhine-Westfalia (NRW). In chapter 4 the current status of the network implementation and the current status of the application projects is described. Finally in chapter 5 our next steps are presented: Going to a national backbone, bringing ATM service to the end users, integration of the telephone service.