Researchers and students across Europe and the US will soon be able to work in closer partnership following a major expansion in transatlantic research network capacity delivered by the pan-European GÉANT network and America Connects to Europe (ACE), a collaboration between Internet2, Indiana University GlobalNOC, DANTE and NYSERnet.
New network links will significantly enhance the ability of European researchers to collaborate and exchange large volumes of data with colleagues in the United States in vital projects in areas as diverse as particle physics, radio astronomy and medical research.
Overall, the new transatlantic network infrastructure comprises six connections that make up 60Gbps of capacity – with 4x10Gbps links for general IP traffic and 2x10Gbps available as dedicated point-to-point connectivity that can be reserved by large-scale projects, such as CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. The connections will be fully operational by January 2012, with some already deployed. The capability to expand capacity beyond 60Gbps is already in place to meet potential future needs. Connections will land in New York and Washington, with assistance from NYSERnet and Internet2.
“Pushing back the frontiers of knowledge relies on close collaboration by researchers across the world. High speed research networks, such as the European NRENs and GÉANT, provide the critical connectivity to exchange the huge amounts of data generated by these projects and consequently drive forward scientific progress,” said, Bob Day, Chairman of DANTE, the organisation which on behalf of Europe’s national research and education networks (NRENs) has built and operates the GÉANT network. “This major expansion in capacity across the Atlantic shows the rapid progress that the collaboration between Europe’s NRENs and the ACE Project has made in delivering tangible advantages to researchers and fostering a closer working relationship, not just between scientists but also the research networks that underpin them.”
“We are delighted about this transatlantic network infrastructure. Global collaboration among data-intensive researchers is simply the new standard in today’s world. One of Internet2’s foundational principles is supporting global research and enabling new dimensions of collaboration. Collectively, our members need greater network connectivity between our network in the US and in Europe to further their academic and research goals,” said Dave Lambert, Internet2 President and CEO.
The expansion also delivers significant benefits to researchers in Africa. Traffic from the UbuntuNet network in Eastern and Southern Africa currently connects to GÉANT through a European Commission-funded link to London and the new connectivity jointly provided by ACE and Internet2 will deliver this traffic from London to the USA. This widens the potential for seamless collaboration and helps bridge the digital divide.
“High speed networks are the lifeblood of 21st century research,” said James G. Williams, Director of International Networking at the Indiana University GlobalNOC and Principal Investigator for the ACE project. “These new connections will not just benefit researchers in the US and Europe engaged in current projects, but also enable researchers to collaborate on future large scale global projects such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and the Australian Square Kilometre Array prototype Pathfinder international radio telescope.”
Both ACE and the GÉANT project will share operations, managing three connections each and working closely together to deliver a seamless experience to users. The project is built on the close collaboration on transatlantic research connectivity with the infrastructure based on a joint engineering plan developed between European and American engineers, leading to maximum resilience and redundancy for traffic. ACE is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and co-ordinated by Indiana University GlobalNOC in the United States.
