On 7 June 2023, representatives of GÉANT – the pan-European Research and Education Network – and of CSTNET – the China Science and Technology Network – convened at TNC23 in Tirana, Albania, for the official signature of a new 15-year interconnection agreement between their networks.
This will strengthen and renew the longstanding partnership between GÉANT and CSTNET by interconnecting their networks at the SingAREN Open Exchange (SOE) in Singapore, the neutral Internet Exchange point hosted by Singapore’s National Research and Education Network SingAREN and co-funded by the National Supercomputing Centre Singapore (NSCC).
The new 100Gbps connectivity route is replacing the existing 10Gbps link between the European and Chinese research and education networks.
This major capacity upgrade aims to support the increasingly intensive scientific and academic collaborations between European and Chinese researchers, especially in the fields of High Energy Physics, astronomy, nuclear research and on international projects such as CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), ITER, the EBI–BGI genomics collaboration, EUMETSAT, the e-VLBI radio-astronomy network.
The agreement marks a significant achievement in GÉANT’s efforts in expanding its intercontinental connectivity via the EU-funded GN5-IC1 project.
Erik Huizer, CEO of GÉANT: “GÉANT is pleased to further strengthen and develop our longstanding partnership with CSTNET, to support the increasing cooperation between the European and Chinese scientific communities. By interconnecting at the SingAREN Open Exchange in Singapore and by boosting the capacity of the GÉANT-CSTNET link we ensure high-speed, secure and trusted connectivity between our regions.”
Gaogang Xie, Director of CNIC (Computer Network Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences): “We are excited to initiate the first 100Gbps China-Europe link with GÉANT to support big collaboration among scientists. CNIC has always been an active member to connect scientists and facilitate trusted flow of digitalised resources between China and her partners around the globe. CSTNET, China’s National Research Network operated by our center, is now working with partners in Europe and the Asia Pacific to further strengthen the resilience of international network connectivity.”
About GÉANT
GÉANT is a fundamental element of Europe’s e-infrastructure, delivering the pan-European GÉANT network for scientific excellence, research, education and innovation. Through its integrated catalogue of connectivity, collaboration and identity services, GÉANT provides users with highly reliable, unconstrained access to computing, analysis, storage, applications and other resources, to ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of research.
Through interconnections with its 39 national research and education network (NREN) partners, the GÉANT network is the largest and most advanced R&E network in the world, connecting over 50 million users at 10,000 institutions across Europe and reaching over 100 national networks worldwide.
For more information, visit www.geant.org
About CSTNET
CSTNET connects all research institutions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, many national research data centers and field stations, and more than 80% research infrastructures all over China. As a key national e-infrastructure for research, CSTNET also supports research paradigm shift, information technology innovation, and works with other National Research and Education Networks to facilitate international cooperation on high-energy physics, astronomical observation, biological research, environmental research, etc.
For more information, visit http://english.cnic.cas.cn and https://www.cstcloud.net/cstnet.htm
About the GN5-IC1 project
Launched in December 2022 and with a duration of 36-months, GN5-IC1 is a new project in GÉANT’s portfolio, funded as part of the GN5 Framework Partnership Agreement in Horizon Europe, and sister project to the GÉANT GN5-1 project. Its ambition is to plan and implement the first phase of a new intercontinental connectivity investment programme for the GÉANT European Research and Education community, as well as to put in place a mid- to long-term investment plan for GÉANT.
For further information visit the official webpage of the project and read the latest interview with the project’s team: https://connect.geant.org/2023/03/09/geant-stepping-up-its-intercontinental-connectivity-interview-with-the-gn5-ic1-project-team
