About NRENs

NRENs - National Research and Education Networks - are responsible for providing data communications networking facilities to the research and education community on a national basis.

The ability of Europe’s universities and research institutions to exchange information, and to collaborate together in world-leading research, relies on their ability to communicate effectively using the most powerful computer and communications technologies available. At a national level, the necessary data communications infrastructure is provided by NRENs.

What is DANTE’s relationship to the NRENs?

DANTE is owned by 15 European NRENs. In addition, DANTE and 32 European NRENs are formal partners in the GÉANT project with the European Commission. GÉANT is the pan-European backbone which connects the national (NREN) networks, and DANTE is responsible for GÉANT's operation. DANTE is also involved in other projects whose partners typically include several NRENs. Hence the NRENs are not only DANTE’s owners, but also its partners and customers.
  
Increasingly, the vital information sources and collaborations necessary for research are international.  In addition to the GÉANT project, DANTE also cooperates together with several NRENs as a partner, in the ALICE, EUMEDCONNECT2 and TEIN3 projects whose aims are to establish connectivity to GÉANT from the Latin American, Mediterranean and Asia-Pacific regions respectively.

More details of the NRENs are available through the links alongside.