Connectivity Providers Database

From: Steven G Huter <sghuter@darkwing.uoregon.edu> To: sghuter@psg.com Date: Thu, 8 Dec 1994 09:46:59 -0800 WHITE PAPER ON ESTONIAN DATA NETWORKING Tallinn, February 11, 1994 The aim of this paper is to give a short overview of present situation in data networking, describe the EENet project, its operating environment, and future projects together with possibilities to integrate with European projects and initiatives. Widespread networking started in Estonia in the beginning of 1990s. First satellite connections from Tallinn and Tartu to Stockholm were established in March 1992. Terrestrial leased line connections from Tallinn to Helsinki followed in the end of May 1992. Tartu-Tallinn link was established in 1993. This was followed by rapid development of local infrastructure and today the network has over 400 permanently connected machines. Several hundred sites use dial-up electronic mail connections. Estonia also acts as an East-West gateway by linking Nordic countries with Latvia and Russia. Wide spectrum of network users has created a situation whereby electronic transmission of documents and distribution of information is becoming commonplace within the academic, government and business communities. More and more users demanding complex solutions, interconnection of LANs, MAN and WAN services, and public services accessible via the network structure. INTERNET access is the most widespread but not the only service available. SERVICES AND STRUCTURES AVAILABLE IN ESTONIA INCLUDE * EENet, the main academic network built around leased lines physical network, campus networks and using TPC/IP protocol suite. It provides access to INTERNET currently via two channels, 64 kbps Tallinn-Helsinki connection and 64 kbps Tallinn-Stockholm satellite link. Latvia is also linked to INTERNET via 64kbps Tallinn-Riga link. User base consists mainly universities, research facilities, government offices, banks and SME's. * X.25, provided by ESTPAK, a subsidiary of Estonian Telephone Company. International services are offered via Finnish Telebox. The service is used by about 100 users including banks and big enterprises for international traffic and access to commercial databases like TELERATE, etc. * SPRINT offers its services using INMARSAT terminals via an Estonian company Mainor-ELT. They have two nodes in Estonia, in Tallinn and Tartu. * FIDONET, consisting of roughly 30 active BBSes in Estonia with hundreds of users scattered around Estonia. International access is provided by a node in Tallinn. * EsPIE-Net is a fully commercial network provider offering X.400 services with international TELEX and FAX gateways. It has connectivity to EUnet and Relcom in Russia. * BANet is a cross border initiative offering network services mostly within CIS countries. EENET EEnet was instituted in 1993 by the Estonian Ministry for Culture and Education to manage and coordinate academic data networking. EENet represents Estonian academic networking interests in international community in addition of being responsible for developing the network in Estonia. Up to now academic institutions have developed networking activities on their own. This has served the purpose by developing local infrastructure. The main boosting factor has been the availability of international connections. Estonia has currently several international links connecting the local academic network to Stockholm, Helsinki, Riga and Moscow. Now that these activities have acquired truly international character a certain degree of coordination is needed. The Ministry of Culture and Education has instituted a coordination committee involving representatives from ministry, Tartu University, Tallinn Technical University, Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysic, Estionian Biocentre, Institute of Cybernetics and Estonian Science Foundation. Its main purpose is to create an independent organization to supervise networking activities, to build and manage trunk connections between institutions and to manage long distance and international computer links, organize training, seminars and conferences, to disseminate information about networking and available services, to extend these to Estonian academic institutions, etc. This organization is called EENet and it acts under the auspices of Ministry as a legal entity. The Board of this organization includes representatives in addition to the institutions listed above from the Informatics Council and the PTT. The aim is to include everybody who has up to now participated in building academic networks in Estonia and also to involve major users. Financial support to EENet will be provided by the state budget and user contributions. Current projects of EENet are * Providing INTERNET access to High Schools and creating student support nodes at schools; * Participation in joint projects under TEMPUS, PHARE, COPERNICUS, and EUROMATH, TELESERV, ESATT, etc.; * Participation in building the BALTBONE infrastructure linking Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland together with the NORDUNet Baltic Initiative; * Establishment of BALTnet cross boarder network utilizing the BALTBONE infrastructure; * Preparation of lecture courses for university students in Tartu. Short term projects of EENet include * Optimization and increasing of trunk/backbone topology and capacity within Estonia; * Desing and establishment of LANs in university campuses besides Tartu University and Tallinn Technical University, where the critical mass of local network has been exceeded; * Establishment of public access nodes; * Installation of information servers for Client/Server applications (WWW, WAIS, Whois, Gopher, Veronica, X.500, etc.); * Linking existing academic non-profit networks and commercial networks with gateway services to provide wider access and interoperability between research, business and industrial communities. Long term projects of EENet include * Coordination and support in using standards accepted in EU countries to facilitate easy integration with Europe (OSI, EDI/EDIFACT, etc); * Research into new transmission technologies and integrated solutions using multistandard/multitechnology access to broadband networks (SDH, ATM, ISDN, B-ISDN, GSM, DECT, VSAT, etc.) to provide flexible solutions in urban areas; * Development of user friendly graphic interfaces and native language access to databases and information servers; * Integration of conventional data networking applications into multimedia solutions utilizing broadband metropolitan telephone and cable-TV networks. NETWORKING ENVIRONMENT IN ESTONIA Rapid advent of academic networking has created a situation whereby the benefits of high speed electronic data transfer are becoming both appealing and affordable to the business community, especially the quickly developing world of SMEs. Automated management systems, companywide interconnected LANs, terms like Telemarketing and Telebanking are becoming commonplace also within the Estonian business community. This has created a demand for public data networks and access to international information structures. Most notable developments in the area of meeting these demands are the major restructuring of the Estonian PTT into a joint venture with Finland (Telecom Finland) and Sweden (Telia Group) - Estonian Telephone Company, and the launching of several private companies offering networking services and access to international databases. The other important area of network development involves government structures and local governments. Estonian government has shown strong support towards networking activities. The establishment of EENet under auspices of Ministry of Culture and Education and providing it with direct funding from the state budget is just one of the examples. Major policy issues in networking are prepared by the National Informatics Council, the Estonian Science Council and the National Science and Education Council. These structures decide also many of the funding issues for individual projects. Estonia has also created a certification mechanism for computer equipment vendors supplying equipment for bigger projects. The state is also supporting major networking infrastructure development projects linking local governments with digital trunk lines, and establishment of relevant information management systems. Another important project involves a distributed database management system for Estonian Customs and Borderguard. These projects form an integral part of reform and lawmaking process enabling Estonia to move towards a stable and democratic state. This process has increased considerably the interest towards joint projects with European Union. Currently, the Commission is mainly involved in PHARE/TEMPUS projects in Estonia. New projects are being extended to Estonia under COPERNICUS (ESATT and TELESERVE). The increase of projects supporting businesses and the reform process can clearly be seen. Such an increase in interaction between the EU and Estonia together with other Baltic States is most welcome and will undoubtedly provide a direct channel between respective business communities. This exchange has to be accompanied by establishment of Business Advisory Centres which can also serve as Business Communications Nodes. Once set up and connected with local network, these can act as gateways between the EU and the target country. Such centrescan also serve as testbed for new Value Added Services, facilitating better connections between states. Direct connections to the EMPB would be advisable in countries with rapidly developing local networking infrastructure like the Baltic States. Estonia is currently establishing 2Mbps and wider metropolitan backbone structures for commercial networks. First pilot project to link commercial banks with 2Mbps backbone was launched in June 1993. This project is now in its second phase, introducing the EDI/EDIFACT and preparing necessary software for banking applications. This project is supported by Bank of Estonia. The next important issue is using Business Communications Nodes to establish R&D programmes to support common interface development for accessing and sharing information with Pan-European networks. Projects like this should make good use of the existing initiatives as set out in the 4th Framework Programme for period 1994-98 and integrate local databases. Major restructuring and overhaul of the PTT will also affect the data networks and solutions for specific applications. Most notable changes will be the introduction of fibre-optic cabling, digital switching and public ISDN basic rate access to large number of customers. Adherence to common European standards will be of extreme importance in introducing these news services. First ISDN subscribers will be connected in March 1994. EENet contact addresses: Director: Enok Sein EENet T”hetorn Toomel Tartu, EE2400 Republic of Estonia INTERNET enok@EENet.ee Phone: +372 34 33635 Fax: +372 34 35430 Board: Tiit Laasberg Ministry of Culture and Education Tžnism”gi 11 Tallinn, EE0100 Republic of Estonia INTERNET tiit@eenet1.edu.ee Phone: +372 2 682898 Fax: +372 6 311213