First phase of GÉANT2 pan-European research and education network goes live
Press Release
Progress of world's most advanced hybrid network announced at first GÉANT2 technical workshop
Cambridge, U.K., 16 January 2006 - European researchers will now benefit from unparalleled collaboration with the deployment of the first phase of the GÉANT2 next generation network. Over one third of the network, which will connect 30 million users in 34 countries, has now been installed by research networking organisation DANTE, which is building and running GÉANT2, on behalf of Europe’s National Research and Education Networks.
The completion of phase one of the network was announced at the first GÉANT2 Technical Workshop, held in Cambridge between 9-13 January and attended by over 180 network engineers and researchers. The week long event brought together the project’s technical staff with others involved in networking across Europe and provided an opportunity to share experience and information, exchange ideas and develop the tools and services which will run on the network. The technical workshops will be held twice a year, to ensure continuing and efficient information flow between the project’s various activities.
Since its official launch in June 2005, progress has been rapid on the deployment of the GÉANT2 network. Thirteen of the network’s 44 routes are fully installed and operational with the first links coming into service in early December between Switzerland and Italy and Switzerland and Germany respectively. Five of the network’s 18 ground-breaking dark fibre routes are now live, delivering greater control over performance and costs than traditional networking methods. Thirteen of the network’s 30 Points of Presence (PoPs) are now fully equipped and ready for service, with a further six due for imminent delivery.
“Building the first international hybrid network of its kind is a massive technical challenge,” said Marian Garcia Vidondo, DANTE’s Operations Manager. “Above all, it has been important to ensure continuity of service as we migrate the connected national research and education networks from GÉANT to GÉANT2. Through extensive testing and stringent quality control we are ensuring that GÉANT’s reputation for excellence is maintained during this transition.”
The GÉANT2 network is the largest ever built for the European research and academic community and offers unrivalled geographical coverage, high bandwidth, innovative hybrid networking technology and a range of user-focused services. Its extensive geographical reach interconnects with other world regions, enabling global collaboration. GÉANT2 will offer point-to-point services to projects such as CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, to connect distributed research centres with high capacity links at a far lower cost than running a private network.
“GÉANT2 is a huge project with ambitious aims, and its many participants are spread across the continent,” said Roberto Sabatino, chair of the project’s Technical Committee and DANTE’s Chief Technical Officer. “This workshop provided an invaluable opportunity to bring the technical teams involved in GÉANT2 together, to ensure that GÉANT2 builds on the track record of its predecessor in being the most advanced research network offering state-of-the-art network services. We expect exciting results from this creation of a truly unified team.”
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About GÉANT2
GÉANT2 delivers the next generation research and education network for Europe. With over 30 million users in 34 countries across the continent, GÉANT2 offers unrivalled geographical coverage, high bandwidth, innovative hybrid networking technology and a range of user-focused services. Its extensive geographical reach interconnects with other world regions, enabling global research collaboration.GÉANT2’s comprehensive programme of research and service development keeps Europe at the forefront of global research.
GÉANT2 is co-funded by the European Commission under the Sixth Research and Development Framework Programme. The project partners are 32 European National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), TERENA and DANTE. It is co-ordinated by DANTE, the research networking organisation that plans, manages and builds research networks all over the world. For more information visit: www.geant2.net
About DANTE:
DANTE is a non-profit organisation whose primary mission is to plan, build and manage research and education networks on behalf of Europe’s National Research and Education Networks. Established in 1993, DANTE has been fundamental to the success of pan-European research and education networking. DANTE is currently building GÉANT2, which will upgrade the GÉANT network and will continue to provide the data communications infrastructure essential to the success of many research projects in Europe.
DANTE is involved in initiatives worldwide to interconnect countries in other regions to one another and to GÉANT2. DANTE is currently managing initiatives focused on the Mediterranean, Latin American and Asia-Pacific regions through the EUMEDCONNECT, ALICE and TEIN2 projects respectively. For more information please visit: www.dante.net
Editorial contacts:
Chris Measures
Rainier PR (on behalf of DANTE)
+44(0)20 7494 657
