1. CaribREN Caribbean Region – R&E Networks
Chester A. Ruszczyk – MIT Haystack Observatory
Internet 2 Fall Member Meeting
SIG for International Collaborations in Emerging R&E Networks
Dec 6, 2006

2. CaribREN Goals Connection of the Caribbean Islands
Facilitate R&E High Speed Network
Connection to the US
Connection to South America
Enable Applications
e-VLBI (Arecibo, St. Croix)
Telemedicine (St. Martin, Netherlands Erasmus MC)
UVI Collaboration with MagPI

3. Links Interconnecting Caribbean
Puerto Rico to Florida (AMPATH)
OC3 (128Mbps)
No access to dark fiber
SMITCOMS
St. Martin gvt formed SMITCOMS LLC
Submarine cable license
Provide interconnectivity to the Caribbean
Overall Goal St. Martin to Trinidad
St. Martin to Puerto Rico
2.5 Gbps
10Gbps capacity
St. Martin to St. Croix
Application filed
2.5Gbps
40 Gbps capacity

4. Submarine Cable System
Anguilla
11 km
St. Martin
BU 1
St. Croix
83 km
Antigua
BU 2
291 km
9.1 km
St. Martin – Trinidad: km
Total Network: km
Dominica
BU 3
138.8 km
SMITCOMS
East Caribbean
Submarine Cable System
19.8 km
BU 4
St. Lucia
62.3 km
BU 5
44.6 km
BU 6
193.2 km
Barbados
12.8 km
St. Vincent
133.2 km
25.1 km
BU 7
Grenada
183.4 km

5. Recent Activities Creation of SIG on Caribbean
Application identification
Network Bottlenecks identified
Puerto Rico to Florida
Looking for possible solutions
CLARA Caribbean effort
Discussions underway
No resolution
Internet2 Day - possibility in the Caribbean
Funding identification

6. Looking to the Future Corporate Donation of Fiber
Contacted J&J about e-VLBI trials
Interest but I2 connection is limited to NJ office
Pursuing options with J&J
Upgrade of Puerto Rico to AMPATH connection
Looking at
costs
cost sharing options
Connection options for radio telescopes
Arecibo connected
St. Croix antenna is not

7. Looking into the Future (cont)
Funding Sources
NSF
US e-VLBI road map being developed
Include Caribbean locations
Astronomy Senior Review may hinder plans
Others?
Connection with Cuba
St. Martin as a hub

8. Thank you. Questions or Comments