§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what steps are being taken to draw together the research in the United Kingdom and other European countries on high band width computer networks;
(2) if he will use Britain's presidency of the European Community to initiate an EC-wide network for connecting basic and applied research laboratories and universities.
§ Mr. FormanThe information systems committee of the Universities Funding Council—UFC—is participating in a European multi-protocol project to connect European countries via high band width computer networks. Fifty of the 200 sites connected to the United Kingdom joint academic network—JANET—already have full multi-protocol access. The United Kingdom and Germany are taking the lead in the European multi-protocol project. Several other European countries have expressed an interest in joining.
The SuperJANET initiative will enhance United Kingdom development providing very high band width multi-protocol computer networking to United Kingdom academic sites.
The UFC and the DTI have jointly funded United Kingdom participation in the EUREKA COSINE project. This has recently completed a successful pilot project in academic computer networking across Europe and will move to a higher performance production service later this year.
The European Community is actively pursuing the provision of pan-European networks for academic sites through its consultations with the European Consultative Forum on Research Networking, which represents academic and research networking interests in the Community.