European Computer Networks

HC Deb 26 October 1992 vol 212 cc444-5W

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his reply of 13 July to the hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith),Official Report, column 443, if he will make a statement on the current provision of pan-European computer networks, and the progress of Super Janet.

Mr. Forman

The information systems committee—ISC—of the Universities Funding Council is participating in a European multi-protocol project to connect European countries via high bandwidth computer networks. This project went live earlier this month. The United Kingdom and Germany were the first two countries to be connected. The ISC is continuing to promote a single pan-European infrastructure for networking.

A formal invitation to tender has been issued to several companies for Super Janet, which will provide an advanced optical fibre network for the academic community. A pilot network is expected to be established in 1993 to enable early demonstration of applications over the network.