SCOTLAND: Daily News
Caledonian Publishing claims the first end-user working implementation of ATM in Europe. Caledonian, which publishes two daily newspapers, The Herald and Evening Times, is running its Cabletron ATM backbone parallel with its existing FDDI network. Desktop publishing is done on Apple Power Macs linked to Unix-based Sun Sparc servers. Cabletron hubs provide ATM uplinks directly from switched Ethernet in a central Fore Systems backbone switch.
Contact: Caledonian Publishing
(Glasgow)
Phone:
+ 44 141 552 6255
Fax:
+ 44 141 553 3457
POLAND: First in the East
Schrack-Ericsson set up the first ATM network in Eastern Europe. It's based on General DataComm Apex switches and 2-Mbps SDH lines. Run by Nask/Warman (Nask is the Research and Academic Computer Network), the network is centered in Warsaw, from where there are two international lines to Stockholm and Vienna. By the end of the year, says Nask's Roman Adamiec, there will be 48 regional nodes, more than 8000 computers, and over 50,000 users. Warsaw will eventually have 10 nodes, 50 hubs, and 500 LANs in the network.
Contact: Warman
(Warsaw)
Phone:
+ 48 22 41 41 15
Fax:
+ 48 22 41 0047
U.K.: It's AcademicSuperJANET
(JANET is the Joint Academic NETwork), using a backbone of 16 General DataComm switches, interconnects 15 academic sites in the U.K. The project's main aim is to support the networking requirements of the higher-educ
ation and research communities. Real-time simultaneous transmission of audio, video, and traditional data traffic (multimedia networking) is handled over a mix of 34-Mbps plesiochronous-digital-hierarchy (PDH) circuits and 155-Mbps synchronous-digital-hierarchy (SDH) circuits. Applications are many and varied: Students at different locations can watch a surgeon performing a live operation, and students can access manuscripts and books over long distances.
Contact: The U.K. Education and Research Networking Association
(Didcot)
Phone:
+ 44 1235 822 200
Fax:
+ 44 1235 822 399
GERMANY: User's Choice
Deutsche Telekom is operating a pilot service providing users with an easy way to set up and take down high-bandwidth ATM connections. It's the closest thing so far to switched ATM service. It is available in 13 German cities and supports international connections via a pan-E
uropean pilot ATM network jointly operated by 18 countries. Users schedule a connection at bandwidths up to 155 Mbps. The PTO believes ATM will be successful only when switched virtual circuits become available. Four classes of service are offered (2- to 155-Mbps access lines). Monthly charges start at under $2000. International connections are possible.
Contact: Deutsche Telekom AG
(Bonn)
Phone:
+49 228 181 9419
Fax:
+49 228 181 8603
FINLAND: Nice Price
Telecom Finland is one of the first public network operators to offer long-distance commercial ATM services. It's particularly noteworthy for its price structure being an order of magnitude lower than service charges imposed by U.S. providers. For example: $3800 a month gets a 10-Mbps ATM connection between sites up to 250 km apart. Move up to distances of 600 km and the monthly charge is $6900. The Datanet service, wh
ich links Finland's 10 largest cities, uses Apex ATM switches from General DataComm linked by 155-Mbps SDH lines. There are plans to link to Stockholm and St. Petersburg soon.
Contact: Telecom Finland
(Helsinki)
Phone:
+ 358 2040 2964
Fax:
+ 358 2040 5767
FRANCE: Distributed Design
Environment for Distributed Integrated Design (EDID) is an initiative to develop a broadband network that can be used by collaborating designers of satellites. Although physically located throughout Europe, several engineers work simultaneously on a data processing workstation using CAD technology. The broadband network can transport the enormous quantities of data needed to describe a satellite. The network also lets the engineers simultaneously transmit voice and image via videoconferencing. Sites are at Cranfield, Ipswich, and London in the U.K. and at Paris, Chatillon, and Cannes in Fran
ce. The EDID consortium consists of Aerospatiale, Alcatel CIT, AQL, BT, Cranfield University, France Telecom CNET, IBM France, and OST.
Contact: OST
(Cesson Sevigne Cedex)
Phone:
+33 99 32 50 50
Fax:
+33 99 41 71 75
Europe's ATM Pioneers
