Students hoping for a university place should have a quicker response this year, thanks to a major upgrade to the universities' computer network masterminded by experts in Oxfordshire.

Ukerna, based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, near Didcot, has upgraded the Janet network to speed communications between Ucas (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) and the universities at their busiest time of the year.

Ukerna has masterminded the £50m Superjanet project, to allow the Janet network to deliver data at speeds of 2.5 gigabits per second, which equates to 290 dictionaries per second.

The A-level results prompt a period of intense communication between Ucas and the 340 universities and colleges that rely on the service to help them fill their courses each year.

Ucas has been offering a one-stop shop to students entering Higher Education for many years. Web-based clearing services were introduced in 1996 and Ukerna's upgrade provide's high-speed links giving students up-to-the-minute course availability.

Geoff McMullen, Ukerna's chief executive, said: "Janet's network capacity is now 16 times faster than it was prior to the upgrade, enormously improving the way we communicate.

"Ucas is just one of over 700 academic related institutions to benefit from the time and money that has been invested in upgrading Janet over the past 12 months."

Ucas chief executive Tony Higgins said: "The new high-speed Janet is helping Ucas to deliver a first-rate service to students during this important stage in their academic career."