Research and Education eInfrastructures:

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Research and Education e-Infrastructures The
Development Enabler Damascus 5-6 September
2007 Efforts Towards Establishing a PAN
Arab Network for Research and Education Yousef
Torman Executive Director Jordanian Universities
Network
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Why Regional Network?

• To provide collaboration space and tools for the
  research and education communities
• To enhance the quality and the deliverables of
  research and education in the region
• Join efforts and encourage team work
• Utilize and make use of resources in the
  different networks and countries

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Example from Jordan

• INTERNET Consolidation Project
• Before consolidation each University had its own
  connection the internet (total speed was 60 Mbps
  with cost of 1.8 MJD)
• After Consolidation One common Internet gateway
  for all Universities and distributed to the
  Universities through the JUNet network (155 Mbps
  for 1.4 MJD)
• Benefits
• More redundancy and backup lines
• Speed burstability
• 65 savings for the Internet cost
• Better utilization of the internet link

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Example from Jordan

• Integrated Library Management System
• One application providing services to all the
  Libraries in the Public Universities through one
  Center of Excellence providing the support and
  training for all Universities
• Benefits
• One common application and interface for all
  students and staff in all Universities
• Cost reduction in terms of hardware, software,
  licenses, upgrades and support

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PAN Arab Research Network

• In 2005 and based on Jordans Experience with
  JUNet, The Ministry of ICT of Jordan initiated a
  project to study the feasibility of using the
  optical fiber of the power distribution grid in
  the Arab Countries for the purpose of building
  the PAN Arab Research and Education Network
• The project was funded by the Government of
  Jordan and the Canadian International
  Development Agency (CIDA) and Cisco Systems
• The first phase of the feasibility study covered
  Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan,
  Palestine Authority, Lebanon and Syria

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PAN Arab Research Network

• Except Libya, The Team visited these countries
  and interviewed
• Ministries of ICT HE
• Universities and research institutes
• NRENs
• Telecom Regulatory Authorities
• Power Companies
• The main focus during the study was on the
  following
• Policy
• Regulatory
• Technical
• Economy

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PAN - Results

• There team found that there will be no major
  obstacles regarding policy, regulatory, fiber
  availability in most of the countries except
  Libya (there were some plans to build fiber on
  the power grid in Libya)
• The initial cost estimate was in the range of
  32M to 42M depending on the type of network to
  be implemented, in addition to 3.5 M annual cost

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PAN Next (last) Steps

• The feasibility was presented to the ICT
  Ministers in WSIS in Tunisia in September 2005,
  and then forwarded to the Arab League
• The issue was triggered again by JUNet and MoICT
  of Jordan with the Arab League in June 2006 at
  the level of the General Secretariat
• The ICT Committee of the Arab League which is
  responsible for formulating the ICT Strategy in
  the Arab States, discussed the PAN in their
  meeting 11-13 September 2006, they requested more
  information and justification from MoICT of
  Jordan
• New initiative then was introduced .

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NAP Arab States Network Access Points

• In line with the Global Summit on Knowledge
  societies, one pillar of the General Arab
  Strategy for Communication and Information
  Technology / Building an Information society
  2007-2012 was
• Achieving universal access and improving quality
  of services for the Arab citizen, utilizing
  information and communication technology
• Based on this pillar, the International
  Telecommunication Union (ITU) / Arab Regional
  office adopted the NAP in the Arab states
  initiative

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NAP Proposed Locations

• Western Arab NAP located in Morocco to cover
  Algeria, Mauritania, Libya and Tunisia
• Middle East NAP located in Egypt to connect
  Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti and Comoros.
• GCC NAP located in Dubai to connect Kuwait ,
  Saudi Arabia , Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, UAE and
  Yemen.
• Cham NAP in located Jordan to connect Syria
  ,Iraq, Palestine Authority and Lebanon .

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NAP Layout
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NAP Expected Benefits

• Increase in internet usage.
• Savings on the utilization of bandwidth between
  connected countries and the USA, which is a major
  cost of Internet services. Hence it will reduce
  Internet usage costs and provide benefit to the
  end user
• Increasing Arab Digital content.
• Reduce the cost of the international calls
  between the Arab countries by using voice over IP
  technology through the connectivity available.
• Ensure uninterrupted connection between Arab
  countries if any of the international routes
  fails.

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NAP Expected Benefits (continued)

• Improving quality of service, reduce bottlenecks,
  and accelerate access to various applications
• Allowing for the optimal use of available
  infrastructures and capacities.
• Enhancement the Economic status for the
  participating countries due to the expected
  increase use and utilization of internet, ease in
  carrying out e-business, growth in e-learning,
  evolvement of Arabs as leading IT professionals,
  better e-governance facilities and
  telecommunication vibrancy

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NAP - Actions and Status

• Four task forces are working for each NAP, the
  task forces include Telecom Providers, ISPs,
  Telecom Regulatory, and Governments.
• the task forces report to the ITU of Arab region
• Task forces conducted many meetings and surveys.
• No clear plan is finalized yet.

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NAP and (or) PAN?

• As the PAN was not adopted by the Arab League,
  JUNet addressed the NAP project through the task
  force of Cham point.
• The request was to take this opportunity to build
  the PAN on top of or in parallel with the NAP
• The request was welcomed and discussed by the
  Arab League ICT Policy Committee meeting in Amman
  (28-30 Sept 2007)
• The committee requested more details to be
  discussed in the next meeting in December 2007

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Rome Declaration

• After several meetings and discussions, the
  representatives of the Arab Mediterranean NRENs
  recognized that
• The importance for the academic and research
  community in the Mediterranean region to count on
  a regional infrastructure for data communication
  to improve cooperation in the area of academic
  research and investigation and education within
  the region and globally.
• The importance for the academic and research
  community in the Mediterranean region to count on
  a regional consortium to support the development
  and implementation of a regional infrastructure
  for data communication based on advanced
  networks.
• The importance for the academic and research
  community in the Mediterranean region to count on
  a regional consortium to support applications and
  e-services that assist research, education and
  learning in these countries.

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Rome Declaration (September 2006)

• Therefore the representatives of the Arab
  Mediterranean NRENs Declared that
• The necessity for the existence of national
  research and education networks
• The desire to further develop and consolidate the
  Mediterranean EUMEDCONNECT network .
• That it is desirable to establish a Mediterranean
  research and education network based on the
  existing research networks in several countries.
• To cooperate in the development and consolidation
  of national research and education networks in
  those countries in the Mediterranean region,
  where they do not yet exist or where they have
  recently been founded
• To create a Mediterranean coordination space for
  the integration and regional coordination of the
  national research and education networks.

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• Consortium of Arab Mediterranean
• Research and Education Networks
• (CAMREN)
• The consortium was introduced as an action point
  for the Rome Declaration

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CAMREN

• Currently the CAMREN proposal include the NRENs
  of the following Countries
• Syria
• Palestine
• Jordan
• Egypt
• Algeria
• Morocco
• Other countries Libya, Lebanon and Tunisia are
  also invited

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CAMREN

• A draft consortium agreement was prepared by the
  directors and representatives of the NREN of
  these Countries
• The draft consortium agreement is under study by
  the different countrie
• Amman was sellected to host the consortium
• Algeria generously will host the consortium
  signature ceremony once finalized
• The agreement is expected to be signed in
  November 2007

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Major Concerns

• Financial support
• Technical Support
• Applications
• Promotion

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• Thank You