International activities

International connections

About 50% of the network traffic passing SURFnet, has an external destination. Furthermore, the optical node NetherLight, founded by SURFnet, makes international lightpaths possible. Good examples are connections to the research networks GÉANT2, GLORIAD, CERN for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), StarLight (USA) and MoscowLight (Russia).

So, international connectivity is a substantial part of the SURFnet services.

International projects

SURFnet presently participates in the following international projects: 

• Global Lambda Integrated Facility (GLIF)
  The international collaborative organisation that promotes the paradigm of lambda networking. SURFnet was one of the initiators and is a participant in a number of working groups.
• GÉANT2 project
  This project is developing a new generation of the European research network GÉANT. The project is partly funded by subsidies from the European Union. SURFnet is taking part in several subprojects.
• GLORIAD
  This project is developing a new academic network that will link the US, Canada, South Korea, Russia, the Netherlands and China.
  Netherlight is the European node for this network. GLORIAD stands for Global Ring Network for Advanced Application Development and creates a ring around the world connecting the cities of Chicago, Amsterdam, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Zabajkal'sk, Manzhouli, Beijing and Hong Kong.
• NEXPReS