Recommendations of the 4th Customer Empowered Fibre Networks Workshop

On the 19th and 20th of September, 2007, 66 representatives of networking research institutions from Australia, Asia, North America, South America and 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. The host of the meeting was the CESNET association, which developes and operates the CEF national research and education network CESNET2 and dark fibre experimental facility CzechLight. The workshop was opened by the director of CESNET Jan Gruntorad. Presentations selected by Stanislav Sima covered the very interesting new development of research networks worldwide.

Presentations are available at http://www.ces.net/doc/seminars/cef2007/.

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 photonic vendors help with development of this emerging market segment.

Participants

• appreciated presentations and workshop preparation,
• recommended next CEF Networks workshop,
• recommended to support
  1. information exchange, especially in mailing list cef-networks
  2. investigation of dark fibre availability for research and education in remaining countries and regions including short cross-border dark fibres and first mile fibres
  3. collaboration with regional and municipal authorities in fibre deployment and usage, especially for non-profit subjects
  4. evaluation and deployment of up-to-date fibre lighting technologies for research and education network
  5. collaboration with electronic and photonic industry

Prague, September 20th, 2007