CEF Networks Worshop 2006 recommendation

On the 29th, 30th and 31st of May, 43 representatives of networking research institutions from US, Canada and West, Central and East Europe met in Prague to exchange experience in the design and operation of Customer Empowered Fibre (CEF) Networks and to formulate major guidelines for their further research and development. One presentation and discussion was realized by videoconference from Brazil. The host of the meeting was the CESNET association, which operates the CEF national research and education network CESNET2 connected to GEANT2, and dark fibre testbed CzechLight connected to GLIF. The three-day workshop was opened by the director of CESNET Jan Gruntorad. Presentations selected by Stanislav Sima covered the very interesting new development of CEF networks worldwide.

Presentations are available at http://www.ces.net/doc/seminars/20060529/.

The basic characteristic of CEF networks is the fact that the operators are the actual users, who just lease the fibre (or have it laid) and take care of the technology that transmits data over it on their own. Thus they have fibres at their disposal, or the right to use them, making their own decisions on the method of construction of the network (in particular, its optical transmission system) and on network control. As the users of customer empowered networks – often scientific and research facilities – have specific requirements for transfer parameters and prices, CEF networks are tailored to their actual needs.

The workshop participants confirmed that CEF networks have been successfully implemented at metropolitan, national and continent-wide level of research and education networks, and now CEF approach is followed by city authorities, companies, hospitals etc. Some vendors recognized this emerging market segment.

Participants

• appreciated presentations and workshop preparation,
• recommended next CEF Networks workshop,
• recommended to support
  • investigation of dark fibre availability and deployment of CEF Networks for research and education in remaining countries and regions including cross-border dark fibres
  • evaluation and deployment of advanced fibre lighting technologies for research and education network
  • interoperability request specification and rules for procurement of equipment and device and standardization work
  • research of networking including wide area dark fibre testbeds and networking facilities development
  • improvement of sharing and lighting of dark fibre footprint for research activities
  • mutual research cooperation
  • continue with information exchange.

Prague, May 31st, 2006