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Hong Kong has been connected to the high-performance Internet2 network in the United States (US) for local universities to carry out collaborative research with their US counterparts on the next generation of Internet technologies.
The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr Henry Tang, officiated at the Internet2 Launching Ceremony cum Symposium today (February 20) to mark the establishment of the connection between the Joint Universities Computer Centre's (JUCC) HARNET (Hong Kong Academic and Research Network) and the Internet2 backbone in the US.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Tang said that with the exponential growth in the number of Internet users worldwide and the ever expanding range of web-based applications and services, improvement in the quality of Internet service in terms of transmission speed, reliability and system capacity was something that users looked forward to, and those in the academia and industry were working towards.
"The next generation of advanced Internet network, with its guarantee of quality of service, promises to enable the deployment of advanced applications on the Internet to meet our growing demands," Mr Tang said.
The Chairman of JUCC, Mr Graeme Large, said during the ceremony that the ongoing function of JUCC since its earliest days in 1970 was to support tertiary level students, faculties and researchers in their pursuit of education, learning and research by providing them with leading edge information and networking technologies to connect speedily and effectively not only within Hong Kong's academic community, but with educational and research institutions worldwide.
"This new global concept has the potential to bring together people in every stratum of the world community. Today's event is yet another example of the successful combined efforts of academia, industry and Government in cooperative progress towards the development of future technological generations," Mr Large said.
Internet2 is a collaborative effort initiated by the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID) of the US, which is a consortium comprising universities, network operators and computers vendors. It aims to develop advanced Internet technologies to significantly improve the performance of the Internet, so as to enable the operation of advanced Internet applications such as video broadcasting and conferencing, distance learning, tele-medicine, digital library of innovative contents, etc.
"Internet2 is delighted to have the opportunity to participate in this launch event. Internet2 looks forward to working with JUCC, its HARNET network, and university researchers, faculties and students in Hong Kong on developing and using new Internet technologies and applications for research and education," said Dr Douglas E. Van Houweling, President and CEO of Internet2.
The HARNET-Internet2 link was set up in October 2002, with funding support from the University Grants Committee (UGC), together with a 2-year sole sponsorship from PCCW for the local data network service and donation of a central router from Cisco Systems (HK) Limited.
Since then, the network has been used between local and US universities to support research projects which involve transmission of timely and large volume of data, e.g. weather information and DNA data, videoconferencing and multicast programmes. It was also used to support a series of real time, interactive virtual classroom sessions between Hong Kong and Canadian students during ITU TELECOM Asia 2002 last December.
To facilitate the development of next generation advanced networks in Hong Kong and to coordinate the development, a Working Group on Internet2 Development was formed in July 2001 to deliberate on the direction and development of next generation advanced networks in Hong Kong.
The Working Group, chaired by the Deputy Secretary of the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau (Information Technology and Broadcasting), comprises representatives from local universities and the industry as well as officials from the relevant Government bureaux and departments.
The launching ceremony and symposium today was organised by the JUCC, with the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau and Information Technology Services Department as co-organisers. The symposium today featured expert speakers from the Internet2 consortium in the US and the China Education and Research Network (CERNET) on a wide range of topics on Internet2 developments and applications. Its aim was to enhance interest and awareness of Internet2 in the academia, the industry and the community at large.
Further information on next generation advanced network development in Hong Kong is available at the website established by the JUCC at http://www.jucc.edu.hk/internet2.
End/Thursday, February 20, 2003
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