International Research Networking 1 George McLaughlin, APAN Vice-Chair & Coordinator, TEIN3 South Asia Feasibility Study Backbone Committee Meeting, APAN

International Research Networking

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George McLaughlin, APAN Vice-Chair & Coordinator, TEIN3 South Asia Feasibility Study

Backbone Committee Meeting, APAN 26

Queenstown, NZ, 6th August 2008

TEIN3 South Asia Feasibility Study


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TEIN3 Work Package 5South Asia Feasibility Study

• One of the key objectives of TEIN3 is to extend the TEIN network and programme to South Asia

• To this end, a feasibility study (SAFS) is being undertaken in conjunction with the prospective South Asian partners

• Seven countries were identified for inclusion in the SAFS:Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan

• The study is assessing: the status and prospects for research and education networking in the

target countries the role that TEIN3 could play to assist the countries, and the obligations of the target countries of participation in TEIN3


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Timezones and Populations

TEIN2:Member countries represent 1/3 of the world’s population in a timezone range spanning only 3 hours

TEIN3Potential member countries represent almost 60% of the world’s population in a timezone range spanning only 5 hours

Small timezone range is critical for interactive collaboration


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Areas of Study (1)• Current status of research and education networking and plans

Draw together relevant studies & analyses undertaken or underway, augmented with information about capabilities, plans and needs provided by participants. Address national & international networking infrastructures & organisational structures, also user communities and current and potential applications that could be supported via TEIN3


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Areas of Study (2)• Telecommunications market assessment

Analyse regulatory and telecommunications market conditions to assess the feasibility, available technologies, supplier capabilities and potential costs of connection to TEIN3

Undertake a comprehensive RFI for international capacity to gain a good insight into capabilities, costs and potential topologies


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Areas of Study (3)• TEIN3 participation assessment

Assess the benefits, costs and modalities for each target country of participating in the TEIN3 programme

Judge against the state of national readiness to benefit from the programme

Assess what TEIN3 can offer in terms of support towards connectivity, applications development, and human capacity development

Take account of the needs of each country and what can be afforded from within the TEIN3 funding envelope


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Areas of Study (4)• Sustainability

Lesson learnt from other studies – needs to be addressed from the outset

TEIN3 is contracted to end 2011, after that date significant European funding support cannot be assumed.

Need for target countries to discuss with their governments the principle of long term and increasing commitments to support continued participation.

•


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2008 Roadmap• 13-14 May 2008SAFS Kick-off meeting, Singapore

Introducing TEIN2/3, participant presentations, NREN data collection analysis, determine action items

• 11-12 August 2008 2nd SAFS meeting, Kathmandu International capacity offerings RFI review, cost sharing model,

user applications survey, preliminary SAFS report• October 2008 3rd SAFS meeting, location TBD

Feasibility Study report, indicative funding proposals to partners• Q4 2008

EC reviews Feasibility Study results, South Asian Partners decide whether to join TEIN3


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2009 Roadmap• Q1 Joiners participate in TEIN3 Technical Committee

meeting• Q1 – Q2 TEIN3 South Asia Connectivity Tender• Q3 – Q4 TEIN3 South Asian partners connected to TEIN3

network


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Participation• Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan all signed letters of

endorsement and participated in the Kick-off meeting• Bhutan will participate in the 2nd SAFS meeting, but not included in RFI• NATO is currently exploring the connection of Afghanistan in an

extension of the Virtual Silk Road. The intention is to cooperate with NATO and have NATO participate in SAFS meetings

• The World Band will participate in the 2nd SAFS meeting to harmonise with its South Asian programs

• TransPac/IRNC will participate in the 2nd SAFS meetiing, building on the collaboration already started with the Pakistan/Internet2 connection

• Interactions with the Asian Development Bank/SASEC Information Superhighway project (involving BT, BD, IN, NP)


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Initial data collection

• Reps from each country identified (from Government and NREN)• Letters of endorsement to participate provided from Bangladesh, India,

Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan• Comprehensive survey initiated covering (for each country):

Geographic indicatorsEconomic indicatorsTelecommunications/Internet indicators including international capacityNREN indicators including funding, staffing, user community, capacity

and traffic, and services offered


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Actions after Kick-off meeting

• Identify supplier contacts for RFI• Prepare, distribute, collect and analyse responses for international

capacity between South Asian countries, and from these to TEIN2 and GEANT2 PoPs

• Prepare framework document for Applications and Collaboration sub-study

• Prepare, distribute and collate Applications and Collaboration survey• Survey current commodity Internet requirements and costs• Prepare cost sharing principles


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International Capacity RFI Objective

• To test the market in the target countries of South AsiaBangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka (Bhutan not included

this round)• More specifically to test for International connection capability and

offerings: between the South Asian countries between South Asian countries and TEIN2 PoPs between South Asian Countries and GEANT2 PoPs

• To determine network topologies that make sense based on suppliers’ indicative offerings and indicative costs for these


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RFI responses

• 13 Supplier responses• 430 individual circuits offerrings • Almost any capacity is available up to 2.5Gbps on new cables• Cables used in the responses include SMW4, FLAG, I2I, FEA, Tata Indicom,

Falcon, Indo-Nepal. Foreshadowed later offerings on Peacock cable (2009) and other extensions

• Many suppliers didn’t offer anything less than 155Mbps• Some only offered 622Mbps


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Current International R&E connections

• India has a 155Mbps circuit to GEANT2 and a 1Gbps (rate limited) to CERN

• Pakistan is about to activate a 155Mbps circuit to the TEIN2 PoP in Singapore and then via Japan/TransPac to Internet2

• Sri Lanka and Nepal access the International R&E networks via the commodity Internet

• Bangladesh does not yet have an NREN• Bhutan has a single University, RUB, with a number of campuses and

currently uses ISP capacity


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Schematic of offers

India

Pakistan

Nepal

Bangladesh

Sri Lanka

Singapore

Beijing

Hong Kong

Copenhagen

London

Vienna

Madrid

Paris

Frankfurt

Milan

Within South Asia 137 offerings

South Asia to TEIN2 137 offerings

158 45

72

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Applications and Collaborations Sub-study

• A sub-study framework has been developed and documented following feedback from participants before, during and after the Kick-off meeting

• A high degree of commonality between partners was established in the areas of collaboration tools, digital libraries, and telehealth

• Parvati Dev, with support from South Asian practitioners, has agreed to lead the development of a roadmap for telehealth in South Asia

• Surveys were undertaken on collaboration tools, digital libraries and other collaborations


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Collaboration Tools

Currently offered Within 12 months After joining TEIN3

H323/H260 5 1

SIP 2 2 1

Access Grid 0 0 2

DVTS 2 0 2

EVO 0 1 1

Acrobat Connect 0 0 1

VoIP 1 2 1


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Digital Libraries

Currently offered Within 12 months After joining TEIN3

Digitisation of national material

3 2

Hosting/access to e-journals

3 1

Hosting mirrors of international DBs

2 1 1

Hosting discipline specific DBs

1 1 0

Hosting educational content

3 1 1

Providing portal for courses, admissions

5 0 1


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Other discipline collaborationsCurrently offered Within 12 months After joining TEIN3

Agriculture 3 2 1

Climate Change 1 1 1

Extreme weather f/c 2 1

Natural Disaster Warning/Mitigation

2 1 1

Emerging Infections 1 1

Earth Observation 2

Astronomy 1 1

High Energy Physics 2 2

Grid Environments 2 1 2

Oceanography 1

Environmental pollutio 1


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Engaging User communities

Mode of engagement

Undertake surveys 3

Conduct forums/meetings 5

Newsletters 0

Set up sub committees 1

Work through HEC or equivalent 3

Discussion meetings with high level committees representing user organisations

3


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Summary• Positive interaction among partners• Telecommunications market and competition improving• Started to identify applications that are “low hanging fruit” that will illustrate

the value of the network• Continue to identify current and potential collaborations between South

Asian partners and: other South Asian partners other TEIN2/3 partnersEuropean collaboratorsOthers

Documents

International Research Networking 1 George McLaughlin, APAN Vice-Chair & Coordinator, TEIN3 South Asia Feasibility Study Backbone Committee Meeting, APAN