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(Source:
http://www.dante.net/server/show/ConWebDoc.2693
or
http://geant2.archive.geant.net/server/show/ConWebDoc.2693 )
GÉANT2 establishes research network link to the Ukraine with URAN connection
Monday 11 February 2008, Cambridge, UK – DANTE, an international research and education network provider working alongside the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), has announced the launch of a high-speed connection link between the Ukrainian NREN, URAN and the high bandwidth, pan-European research network, GÉANT2. The new link is a further step towards supporting a truly global research community with the integration of the Ukrainian NREN into Europe’s most advanced research network.
The 100 Mbps connection procured by URAN will terminate in Warsaw, where it is being carried on PSNC, the Polish NREN, following an exclusive agreement with the Ukrainian NREN, URAN. A high speed dark fibre route will be provided by PSNC between the cities of Warsaw and Poznan in Poland, allowing a dedicated connection to the GÉANT2 router in Poznan to be accessed by URAN in Kiev. The new link will provide a big improvement in available bandwidth enabling a new quality of collaboration between Ukrainian and associated European academia. The link will provide access to scientific and information resources such as electronic libraries, databases, search engines and supercomputing resources to facilitate joint research activities in areas such as climate change, life sciences, elementary particle physics, grid computing, radio astronomy and sustainable development.
URAN connects about 500,000 users from approximately 100 universities and scientific research institutes in 18 regions of Ukraine. The link to GÉANT2 is part of an incentive by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine called ‘Information and Communication Technologies in Education and Science’ for the development of scientific telecommunications networks.
"Scientists, academics and students rely on advanced infrastructures such as Europe's GÉANT2 network to pool resources and to work together effectively, no matter where they are based," said Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media. "Bringing together the best minds from all over Europe is not only beneficial for science, but beneficial for all citizens of a world that today, depends increasingly on technology, innovation and collaborative research."
Yuriy Yakimenko, Head of URAN Association Board, commented: “Ukraine’s research community is evolving steadily and the need for collaboration with international colleagues is becoming increasingly urgent. Through this agreement with PSNC and GÉANT2, Ukrainian researchers are now able to send and receive information at great speed. This is a positive move for our country’s participation in international scientific progress and will encourage students and scientists to remain in Ukrainian academia.”
“This new affiliation with URAN is a milestone for the GÉANT2 network as it moves us further towards achieving our aim of creating a global network for the science and research community,” said Klaus Ullmann, Chairman of the GÉANT2 project. “The link to Ukraine will provide exciting opportunities for research links and collaboration with Eastern Europe and is an important development to the extensive reach of the pan-European GÉANT2 network.”
About GÉANT2:
GÉANT2 is an advanced pan-European backbone network that interconnects National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) across Europe. With an estimated 30 million research and education users in 34 countries across the continent connected via the NRENs, GÉANT2 offers unrivalled geographical coverage, high bandwidth, innovative hybrid networking technology and a range of user-focused services, making it the most advanced international network in the world. Together with the NRENs it connects, GÉANT2 has links totalling more than 50,000km in length and its extensive geographical reach interconnects networks in other world regions to enable global research collaboration. Europe’s academics and researchers can exploit dedicated GÉANT2 point-to-point links, creating optical private networks that connect specific research centres.
GÉANT2 is co-funded by the European Commission under the EU’s Sixth Research and Development Framework Programme. The project partners are 30 European National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), TERENA and DANTE. GÉANT2 is operated by DANTE on behalf of Europe’s NRENs. For more information, visit www.geant2.net
About DANTE:
DANTE is a non-profit organisation, co-funded by the European Commission and working in partnership with European National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) to plan, build and operate advanced networks for research and education. Established in 1993, DANTE has been fundamental to the success of pan-European research and education networking. DANTE has built and operates GÉANT2, which provides the data communications infrastructure essential to the success of many research projects in Europe. DANTE is involved in worldwide initiatives to interconnect countries in the other regions to one another and to GÉANT2. DANTE currently manages projects focussed on the Mediterranean, Latin American and Asia-Pacific regions through the EUMEDCONNECT, ALICE and TEIN2 projects, respectively. For more information, visit www.dante.net
About URAN:
The Ukrainian Research and Academic Network (URAN) was established as part of a scheme from the Ministry of Education of Ukraine and National Academy of Science of Ukraine in 1997.
The main goal of the URAN network is to provide institutions, organisations and establishments of science, education and culture with the information and networking services to enable network users to realise their professional needs and contribute to the development of the fields mentioned above. The network is used to perform increasingly diverse tasks such as providing access to information sources, rapid exchange, transmission, storage and processing of data. URAN has been designed and developed to create opportunities for conducting scientific research, functioning of electronic libraries and virtual laboratories, distance learning, teleconferencing, distant methods of monitoring and telematics, etc.
Today the URAN network physically unites about 100 R&D and educational institutions in 18 of 25 regions and operates its own optical networks, totalling 160 km in length, in 12 of the largest Ukrainian cities. The big support in establishing URAN optical networks was made due to financial grants from NATO. During ten years (1998-2007) Ukraine NRN have received from NATO science for peace department the donation in amount of 900 000 US dollars for equipment and especially for optical cables installation. Its principal goal of activity is the coordination and integration of efforts of the Association Members to ensure development and usage of the Ukrainian National Research and Education Network. This is achieved by increasing the education and science level in Ukraine, development of the principles of information-oriented society, competitive joining of Ukraine to the global information-oriented area and the representing of interests of the Association members in institutions of government authority, as well as in Ukrainian and International organisations.
The Association is open for new members and operates in accordance with the Constitutive agreement. For more information, visit www.uran.net.ua
Contact:
Chris Measures/Clodagh Boyle/Elka Panzner
Rainier PR (on behalf of DANTE)
+44(0)20 7494 6570
dante@rainierpr.co.uk
Helen Martindale
DANTE
Direct: +44(0)1223 371 328
Mobile: +44(0)7823 538090
helen.martindale@dante.org.uk