Users

 The applications of the GÉANT2 network are almost limitless. Research projects with high bandwidth demands, projects with less demanding connectivity requirements that are keen to make use of the network’s extensive topology or projects that require the use of sparse, limited resources all benefit from the connectivity and services provided by GÉANT2. It is the high performance and global reach of the network that means research project participants are able to collaborate by sharing vast quantities of data between them, across countries and continents.

A number of “big science” research projects would not be possible without the use of GÉANT2. Social science and arts projects and a number of other users also utilise the capabilities of the network and its global reach.

Big Science users

LHC: CERN is undertaking the largest scientific experiment ever undertaken, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). By colliding particles at high energies, the experiment will create conditions similar to those experienced after the Big Bang. It will create roughly 15 Petebytes of data that needs to be distributed to processing centres around the world for analysis. GÉANT2 connects the primary research centres with dedicated point-to-point connections.

Arts and culture users

The New World Symphony Orchestra: The concept of a “virtual concert room” with remote live exchanges between musicians around the world has been established following a trans-Atlantic rehearsal between the New World Symphony Orchestra in Miami and two leading French musicians. This was made possible by utilising the high bandwidth of the research and education networks, GEANT2 and Internet2.

Medical and healthcare users

T@lemed: This telemedicine project is working to bring essential healthcare services to hospitals in outlying districts of Colombia and Brazil. Using specialist equipment and software developed by Medcom at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, doctors can remotely diagnose conditions and prescribe treatments to patients, despite being thousands of miles apart. High quality video links are established using the GÉANT2 and ALICE networks.

Disaster relief users

Sichuan earthquake: Reconstruction work following the major Chinese earthquake in Sichuan in May 2008, is using high-resolution satellite images from unexplored areas of destruction in Sichuan to determine the severity of damage to towns and cities, and to help protect the area from further risk when rebuilding begins. The images are being transported from Italy to China using the GÉANT2 network and the ORIENT link.