Access to dark fiber in Serbia & Montenegro

Zoran Jovanović

Slavko Gajin

Belgrade University Computing Center

NREN – National Research and Education Network

of Serbia & Montenegro

Backbone of the NREN in 2000.

Beograd

Kragujevac

Podgorica

Kruševac Niš

2 Mbps

Novi Sad

2 Mbps

2 Mbps2 Mbps

2 Mbps

1.5 Mbps

1 Gbps

155 Mbps

First access to dark fiber after the SINSEE pilot phase

Beograd

Kragujevac

Podgorica

KruševacNiš

Novi Sad

2 Mbps Grnet

2 Mbps

2 Mbps

2 Mbps

1.5 Mbps

Topology - January 2004. SEEREN and Gbps backbone

Beograd

Kragujevac

Niš

Novi Sad

GRnetGEANT

2 Mbps or 1 Gbps (E?)

SMIN Telekom

Srbija34 Mbps

Podgorica

SEEREN34 Mbps

1 Gbps E

Subotica

1 Gbps

1 Gbps E

1 Gbps

MAN backbone of BelgradeInstitute

Vinča

1 x C3550-12G LOSTUD Distribution node

1 x C6509RCUB

Central Node

1 x C3550-12G PMF distribution node

1 x C3550-12G

Internal Optical network of Vinča

International andintercity links

SiSi

University of Arts

Faculty ofPhilosophy

Institute ofEconomy

Faculty ofEconomy

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts

1 x C3550-12G LOMED

distribution node

1 x C3550-12G LOV distribution node

1 x C3550-12G LOTEH distribution

node

Where are we now

• Completing the national Gbps backbone• Completing the Gbps MAN networks in

Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad.• Starting the Gbps backbone in Kragujevac• Expanding the network to high schools

and even primary schools• Establishing services• For the first time normal international

connectivity - SEEREN

Newest technology

• Avoiding the PST infrastructure and using dark fiber

• Low end newest technology (still 1 Gbps)• 500 times higher capacity on the internal

backbone and 45 times higher capacity for international connectivity in 3 years

• Dark fiber to individual institutions – wherever possible

• Investments are very low compared to POS solutions

Cooperation!

• Exceptional cooperation of all universities, Ministry of Science and Technology and Telekom Srbija

• Even without a legal entity, all key players were pushing in the same direction

• Contracts with Telekom Srbija where we guaranteed that the NREN cannot be used for any form of commercial traffic (according to GEANT AUP)

• Young team of experts at university computing centers throughout the country

Conclusions (1)

• From 0.1% of the backbone capacities of developed countries, we reached about 40%.

• Capacity of the international connectivity is below 1% of the capacity of most developed countries.

• All Web and FTP traffic on international links is still passing through proxy servers

• We believe that our technological solution has the best price/perfomance

• There will be a fast increase in the number of users of the network

• Our wish is to soon be on the better side of the digital divide – at least for the NREN

Conclusions (2)

• The development was done under the following circumstances: destroyed economy, 600.000 refugees, more than 1.000.000. unemployed and very low salaries. Donations like SEEREN were crucial.

• Our NREN had the best possible support, especially from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Development of Serbia

• Cooperation with Telekom Srbija, when clear AUP is defined in contracts, opened the access to dark fiber

• New services on the NREN are emerging – distant learning, GRID infrastructure, …

• Our Network Information System NetIS is already expanding to the SEEREN network

SEEREN

• The best way to change the less developed SEE countries

• Exceptional cooperation between participants – new friendships

• Coordination by GrNet in SEEREN and EU and NATO proposals at the highest level

• Thanks to EU, GrNet, DFN, Hungarnet, RoEduNet, Dante, Cesnet and CEENET for helping us to make a great step forward

• Best investment in the future of the region