A time of transition...

TEN-34: Up and running
EuropaNET: the downsizing has started

[April 1997] Most of the TEN-34 network is now up and running. The first link to carry production traffic was the leased circuit between Germany and Switzerland on 6 March 1997; the ATM-based circuits linking France, Germany and the UK have been in service since 18 March and Italy was linked (to Germany) on 15 April. The Unisource sub-network started carrying traffic on 29 April. The connections to Austria and Hungary are being tested and are due to come into service on 5 May. The Czech Republic has now made arrangements to connect to TEN-34; a line from Prague to Frankfurt will be brought into service before 1 August.

On 1 May 1997 the first NRNs which have moved their traffic to TEN-34 will disconnect from EuropaNET. This marks the beginning of a major reduction in the scale of EuropaNET as a pan-European network service. In practice, since EuropaNET runs on the same physical infrastructure as BT's commercial Concert Internet Plus service, there is no difficulty in continuing to provide a smaller scale service to those NRNs which still have no definite plans to connect to TEN-34.

In order to ensure continued connectivity between NRNs already on TEN-34 and the others, DANTE has organised a number of interconnection arrangements. In Geneva, TEN-34 is taking over the 2 Mbit/s EuropaNET port and access line currently used by CERN. Also, a direct connection to the BT network will be made between UKERNA's existing 4 Mbit/s EuropaNET port (to which UKERNA is committed to DANTE and DANTE is committed to BT until 30 June 1997) and the TEN-34 router in London. In addition DANTE is currently finalising interconnection arrangements with Ebone.

[June 1997] More of the TEN-34 network is now up and running. The connection to Austria came into service on 8th May and that to Hungary on 29th May. There are several other NRNs which have plans to connect later this year, as follows: GRnet (Greece) by July with a line to Milan, ARNES (Slovenia) by August with a line to Vienna, BELNET (Belgium) by August with a line to Amsterdam and a share of an upgraded SURFnet access, CESnet (Czech Republic) by August with a line to Frankfurt, and RESTENA (Luxembourg) by October with a line to Frankfurt. RCCN is obliged to issue an invitation to tender for a connection to one of the existing TEN-34 PoPs. An additional trunk line from Vienna to either Frankfurt or Prague will be necessary to handle the increased traffic passing via Austria.

EuropaNET - before TEN-34...

Between 1990 and 1997 EuropaNET was the international network linking national university networks the length and breadth of Europe and offering full connectivity to the global Internet.

(What is left of) the network is operated and managed by BT, tailored to DANTE's requirements. DANTE monitors and reports on the quality of service delivered, plans for network changes and upgrades together with BT and acts as interface between BT and the customer networks.

The global village: connections to other continents

For customers who do not have their own transatlantic links to the US DANTE has organised full connectivity to the global Internet through interconnect arrangements with major US service providers as well as a connection to Japan (NACSIS).

Interconnect arrangements with other networks in Europe

There are European networks to which DANTE's customers want to connect in Europedirectly (instead of via the US). DANTE offers interconnect arrangements with these networks as part of the EuropaNET service.

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[July 1997]