Recommendations from the workshop

Workshop on CEF Networks
Prague, May 25th to 26th, 2004

46 participants from 20 European NRENs , USA and Canada met in Prague on May 25th and 26th, 2004 in order to discuss topics related to Customer Empowered Fibre (CEF) Networks concept.

It was demonstrated in several presentations that CEF Networks concepts is already successfully implemented on the national level in several countries.

Participants of the workshop therefore recommend to continue information exchange concerning of:

• experience with dark fibre procurement and deployment in NRENs
• connection of NREN PoPs Near over Border (NoB) by dark fibre
• design kit of transmission equipment and solution for CEF-design
• references to emerging transmission technologies, equipment for all-optical networks etc.
• advanced transmission systems for long-distance fibre lines
• feasibility of PC WAN CEF networks
• design of customer transmission equipment for CEF-networks with optical modules and/or programmable hardware
• possibilities to share very long dark fibres by some NRENs, DANTE, Internet2, Canarie, research institutions and other non-profit organisations (method of sharing is for example implementation of lambda services)
• the foreseeable future of CEF networks
• other topics important for CEF-networks design and deployment.

Participants recommend extension of the register of dark fibre lines and transmission equipment used in NRENs and make it publicly available (for support of CEF network designers).

Prague, May 26th, 2004