Filling Gaps and Needs of NRENS: The SILK Experience E-AGE 2013, Tunis H. Frese, DESY NATO PDD Consultant

The Virtual Silk Highway Project is a major component of the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme has provided Internet connectivity and infrastructure support for the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) along the SILK road in the Caucasus and Central Asia and continues with SILK-Afghanistan e-AGE 2013 Tunisia2

The nine SILK countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan e-AGE 2013 Tunisia3

Before SILK (1992) After the fall of the Soviet Union the demand for communication between CIS scientists and the outside world increased dramatically Cocom limited telephone modems to 1200 Baud Fiber was non-existent Russian satellites were available DESY stepped in for the High Energy Physics community with INTAS funding linking HEP institutes across the CIS at 128kbps rates to HEPNET/CERN e-AGE 2013 Tunisia4

Towards SILK (2001) Since the mid-1990s, the NATO Science Programme had been providing Networking Infrastructure Grants (NIGs) both for hardware and for communication links to individual institutes in the NATO Partner Countries of the former Warsaw Pact A wholesale unified approach was agreed by the NATO Networking Panel covering the whole area with one high power satellite under a multi-year contract geared to annual NATO budgets e-AGE 2013 Tunisia5

Silk-1 – East Beam Transponder Map e-AGE 2013 Tunisia6

Silk-1 - West Beam Transponder Map e-AGE 2013 Tunisia7

SILK-1 ( ) $2.5m for the first 3 years could afford 20Mbps of shared bandwidth, co-funding reached 30Mbps later SILK connected NRENs, not single institutes NRENs had to have a proper Acceptable Use Policy to be connected The NRENs had to agree internally on bandwidth sharing inside their country Satellite broadcasting enabled sharing of otherwise unused bandwidth across NRENs between NRENs and across 3 time zones Specific gaps and needs were covered with NIGs, typically $100k over 2 years (e.g. last mile issues) e-AGE 2013 Tunisia8

SILK-1 hub 5.6m KA band e-AGE 2013 Tunisia9

Running SILK A computer network needs a people network to run it The hub crew and eight of the nine POPs spoke Russian as well as English Regular telephone and video conferences plus two to three rotating face-to-face board meetings annually were crucial, with participation of both the administrative and technical experts, especially in the cases of bleeding edge technology use. The necessary equipment was provided by NATO grants (NIGs), including batteries, generators and diesel fuel Complementary EU projects helped out here greatly when NATO could not provide personnel support e-AGE 2013 Tunisia10

SILK Board Meeting 20, e-AGE 2013 Tunisia11

SILK-2 ( ) Technology neutral tender produced only satellite offers Continuation with new satellites and their teething problems: KISS vs. SLA Gradual replacement by fiber where available Total bandwidth (shared if on same satellite) ~100 Mbps Transfer of NRENs to EU co-funded regional networks like the Central Asian Research and Education Network (CAREN, 2010) e-AGE 2013 Tunisia12

CAREN Launch e-AGE 2013 Tunisia13

SILK-Afghanistan ( ) Continuation with multiple satellite POPs in Afghanistan initially Additional bandwidth to Kabul on fiber Development of the Afghan Research and Education Network (AfgREN) under the auspices of the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education covering the provinces (>25 locations) Preparation of SILK-AFG e-AGE 2013 Tunisia14

SILK-AFG 2.0 ( so far) The big steps forward are the 155 Mbps STM-1 connection of AfgREN from Kabul to GÉANT in Vienna the use of domestic fiber where available (6 active, 9 more planned) further 5 sites are connected by wireless with 11 more planned e-AGE 2013 Tunisia15

AfgREN fiber traffic

AfgREN wireless traffic e-AGE 2013 Tunisia17

Conclusion For more than a decade, the NATO Virtual Silk Highway Project has used available funds and available technology to maximum effect to fill the gaps and needs of the NRENs in Central Asia, enabling them in turn to provide their stakeholders with access to the Internet for education including schools, audio and video conferencing support, and scientific projects from earthquake detection to telemedicine. With the SILK background, let us look at the gaps and needs of ASREN and possible NATO grants e-AGE 2013 Tunisia18

Outlook Information on NATO grants can be found at Grant applications require two co-directors, one from a NATO Partner and one from a NATO Country … … passing a peer-review … … and approval by the 28 NATO Countries. Grant giving organizations like regional and co- funded proposals e-AGE 2013 Tunisia19

41 NATO Partners (11 in Arabia) Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Finland, Georgia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Malta, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia¹, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan. ¹ Turkey recognizes the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name e-AGE 2013 Tunisia20

28 NATO Countries Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States e-AGE 2013 Tunisia21

You find me at e-AGE 2013 Tunisia22