What’s the impact of GÉANT2 for Europe’s citizens?

Howard Davies, DANTE General Manager between 1993 and 2001, attended the launch of the GÉANT2 network in Luxembourg, 14-15 June, 2005. Whilst there he canvassed opinions on the project from the attendees and here reports on the potential impact of GÉANT2, as seen from those working within and around the project.

200 Million euro will be spent on GÉANT2 over the next four years, half of it coming from the European Commission, the other half being supplied by the partner national research and education network (NREN) organisations. This funding represents a cost of 0.1 euro per person per year to European taxpayers. What will an average family of four get for its 1.6 euro?

In the short term, the direct answer is “nothing”. The purpose of GÉANT2 is to support collaborative research activities throughout the EU, particularly those which involve the transmission of very large amounts of data between institutions in different countries, by providing a very advanced network. The closer the researchers can get through the use of the network and its services to interacting as if they and their specialist equipment were located in the same room, the more effectively they can combine their collective expertise to the study of the problem in hand.

In the longer term, the potential benefit to the average EU citizen is huge. The nature of the research being supported in areas such as the development of new drugs and better healthcare, more accurate forecasting of weather and climate change, means that benefits will only be seen in a few years’ time. However, the research is essential now if Europe is to maintain a strong economic position in relation to North America, South East Asia and other regional groupings.

At the formal launch of GÉANT2 in Luxembourg on 14-15 June 2005, a selection of attendees was asked to say what impact GÉANT2 would have on them personally or on the organisation they worked for.

Some of the replies from representatives of long-established NRENs were straightforward and confirm that GÉANT2 is meeting its objectives:

“GÉANT2 connects to the national WDM network, thus enabling national research groups to extend their activities internationally.”
“Some current research projects could not be carried out without GÉANT2”

Whilst a representative from the European Commission noted the enabling role that the network plays:

”GÉANT2 enables and supports grid applications”

A respondent from outside Europe highlighted the key role that GÉANT2 plays on the worldwide stage:

“GÉANT2 has opened up possibilities for research collaboration on a global scale.”

The first GÉANT project led the way in advanced research networks. GÉANT2 maintains this lead, setting ever higher targets and standards for research networking as a whole. Some comments pointed to the quality of GÉANT2 as “an example to be followed”:

“ . . . provides the motivation for following the technology adopted in the West”
“ . . . sets a direction to be followed though there are difficulties in getting matching (10 Gbps) circuits for the national research network to use within the country.”

With the involvement of 34 European countries, a number of people said that GÉANT2 has social as well as technical benefits:

“it motivates young engineers and promotes collaboration”
“users are grateful to see GÉANT2 routers on the path when they do traceroutes; it makes them feel part of the international community again”
“It promotes better understanding between complementary cultures”
“besides being effective on a technical level, it is effective on a social level, bringing network experts together to share knowledge and experience”
“there needs to be a balance between innovation and digital divide resolution; GÉANT2 addresses this”

In two countries, the impact of GÉANT2 within the national government structure goes well beyond the department which is directly responsible for it:

“it will provide support and infrastructure for the development of a new university”
“Through the availability of a world-class network service, GÉANT2 enables the government to promote our country as a good location for carrying out world-class research.”

Financial issues are an understandable preoccupation for some people:

“For a small country which does not have an extensive national research programme and which consequently cannot benefit from the advanced facilities provided by GÉANT2, we have to work hard to justify the cost of a GÉANT2 subscription compared with a commercial internet connection.”
“the fibre footprint across Europe is particularly dense; because of the way GÉANT2 costs are distributed between the NRENs, we have to pay more than we would like for capacity we do not need.”

Some imperfections are inevitable in any complex organisational structure and GÉANT2 is no exception – indeed, one of DANTE’s key successes has been in negotiating an agreement with all parties. The so-called "digital divide" - the uneven development of telecoms markets across Europe - is the cause of some of the financial concerns that arise.

There was also a reminder that provision of high rate data transmission is no longer enough by itself:

“infrastructure and capacity issues which had previously dominated the list of problem areas addressed by the national networks have been largely resolved. More attention can now be given to applications.”

The impact of GÉANT2 has also been felt in the commercial sector. Although GÉANT2’s suppliers might be expected to make favourable comments having won a contract to supply equipment or services, the responses from two of them are notable:

“the DANTE tender for GÉANT2 provoked the creation of a new market”
“For us, GÉANT2 is a strategic project; if the systems work, they can be applied to other business areas and create new market opportunities.”

whilst a third does not refer directly to GÉANT2 but illustrates the quality of its management:

“we enjoy doing business with DANTE because we know that our bills will be paid”

The internet and the World Wide Web were used and developed within the academic community over many years before their commercial exploitation became realistic. During the last ten years, however, their usage has exploded, new industries have been created, and they now form a key element in the day to day working of the leading national economies.

What will appear during the next ten years as a result of current research projects in which GÉANT2 plays a key role? We shall have to wait and see before we can confirm that the average family’s tax contribution represents good value for money but the prospects are looking very good.

Howard Davies