International Research Networking Tunis 19 November 2007 Dany Vandromme, RENATER EUMEDCONNECT

International Research Networking What is GANT2? A European R&E Networking Model: 7th generation of pan-European research network infrastructure – continuation of a success story Project partners include 30 of Europe’s national research and education networks (NRENs), DANTE (coordinator) and TERENA Connects 34 European countries and serves over 3500 research and education establishments across Europe Over 30 million users Provides extensive international connectivity to other world regions Funded jointly by NRENs and European Commission Project timescale September 2004 – mid 2009 Planning underway for GÉANT3

International Research Networking GÉANT2- Current Topology Features: Hybrid network 34 European Countries International Connections

International Research Networking GÉANT2 Objectives Provide a gigabit-speeds infrastructure to support European research and education Deploy the first international hybrid network: routed IP traffic combined with switched point-to-point circuits Provide a research infrastructure for network technology developments Develop a wider range of network services Extend geographic reach of the network Conduct strategic studies into the future of European research networking (eg. SERENATE, EARNEST)

Connect. Communicate. Collaborate Tackling R&E Digital Divide: “A sizeable number of countries on the wrong side of digital divide encounter significant difficulty to access cutting-edge R&E applications and services over their infrastructure. “ -“Project” actions, such as EU-sponsored regional projects that aim to address the digital divide …for example EUMEDCONNECT… have achieved an unprecedented impact in easing the digital divide and should continue” EARNEST Study 2007

The EARNEST Foresight Study EARNEST Study Findings Average GEANT2 (34) and EUMED (7) NRENs international bandwidth is 12Gb/s and 70Mb/s respectively (more than two orders of magnitude disparity) The average GEANT2 (34) and EUMED (7) NRENs international bandwidth per user is 6kb/s and 28b/s respectively (more than two orders of magnitude disparity). “ The last 20 or so NRENs are expected to encounter significant difficulty to access cutting-edge R&E applications and services over their international connection”

The EARNEST Foresight Study Research and Education Development Index map

Connect. Communicate. Collaborate EUMEDCONNECT – tackling the Digital Divide in the Mediterranean region 11 Mediterranean Countries connected since 2004, 7 wholly reliant serving 1.4M users in 400+ Institutions Network traffic growing over 50% per year Over 100 projects Connected…. The only large-scale R&E e-infrastructure serving the Mediterranean region

Connect. Communicate. Collaborate Connected Projects include: EUMEDGRID MedGeNet MOSAICS PROHITECH NEAREST EUMEDGRID NET-ADDED MAC-OILS AQUARHIZ PROMET SOWAMED PARASOL IRRIQUAL EUROMEDCITRUSNET EDEN AQUASTRESS MEDINDUS C.H.E.R.K. OPTIMA RAMSES II C.H.E.R.M. HERMES DESIRE WADI SHADUF PAPERTECH MED-COLOUR-TECH MAP-IT! HYRESS PURATREAT ALERT MELIA TRAINMONHER WEMED TRITIMED KASSA PERMED SWAP OPTIWHEAT QUALIWATER ERA-MED IDEALIST7FP FOOD-N-CO EURO-MEDANET PROMEDACCESS MED 7 MEDISTONE CEDROME WADI ELMAA YOUNG-TRAIN ECHINONET ADU-RES CYCLER-SUPPORT MELIA INNOVA-MED CIBEWU WATNITMED EU-MED AGPOL LEISH-MED DIMAS AQUARHIZ PLEIADES RESOURCENET IRRISEASOIL

Connect. Communicate. Collaborate Achievements and Challenges R&E networking in the Mediterranean is becoming well established thanks to: –Pioneering investment by the European Commission –Commitments by Mediterranean NRENs/governments to support EUMEDCONNECT and national networks –User community starting to rely on the infrastructure The region’s telecommunications markets remain challenging: –Competition is developing and regulations reforming, but slowly and patchily –Telecoms investment in alternative bandwidth services remains low –Commercial Internet services are developing but research networks are and will remain essential for high end, non-commercial services

Connect. Communicate. Collaborate EUMEDCONNECT Sustainability EC EUMEDIS funding of EUMEDCONNECT ends Dec 2007 EUMEDCONNECT planned to continue to end Q with partner funding CAMREN is a very important demonstration of partner commitment – we hope the consortium agreement is signed very soon!

Connect. Communicate. Collaborate EUMEDCONNECT2 Tendering for EUMEDCONNECT2 network to start shortly EUMEDCONNECT2 plans: –Provide higher capacity, more cost effective infrastructure –Active promotion of network for FP7 and other research projects, tele-medecine and environmental applications –Extended coverage to additional Mediterranean and Gulf NRENs –Project managed with the CAMREN consortium –Some EC funding now expected but still being negotiated (The Brussels event has helped!) –Continued financial commitment from MED partners is essential