Global Connectivity: World Regions
   

Central Asia

Caren
Afghanistan

 



CAREN

The CAREN project has established a high-capacity regional research and education network in Central Asia to provide the region with a gateway to global research collaboration. It has replaced the earlier mainly satellite-based connectivity established by the SILK project with a broadband internet-based network using terrestrial fibre.

Funded by the EU and Central Asian NRENs, the project began on 1 January 2009 with the network going live in July 2010. CAREN currently interconnects half a million scientists and students in more than 500 universities and research centres in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, with Uzbekistan also a candidate country.

The main applications include glacier and earthquake monitoring as well as capacity building and industrial development in the field of solar cell technology.

The project is contracted until mid-June 2013 and discussions with the European Commission for a 2nd phase are underway.

The CAREN network became operational in the summer of 2010, and today connects the following NRENs:

NREN Name Country Mbps Connection
KazRENA
Kazakhstan
155 Mbps
KRENA-AKNET Kyrgyzstan 155 Mbps
TARENA Tajikistan 34 Mbps
TuRENA Turkmenistan 34 Mbps

Uzbekistan is also eligible to join the CAREN project.

To learn more, visit the CAREN website.

Afghanistan
The NATO-led SILK Afghanistan project provides high-speed interconnectivity between the GÉANT network and universities in Afghanistan via a 43-Mbps satellite link to a teleport hub in Bratislava, from where traffic is carried via a terrestrial link to the GÉANT Point of Presence (PoP) in Vienna.

The Afghan NREN AfgREN has indicated an interest in joining the Asian-Pacific TEIN programme as a non-connected-member during the course of 2013. A feasibility study will be required prior to any physical connection.

SILK Afghanistan connects a total of nine sites across the country including universities in Bamiyan, Herat, Jalalabad, Kabul, Kandahar, Khost Province, Mazar-e-Sharif and Sheberghan, in addition to the Afghan Government Media and Information Centre.


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