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RNP2 is government priority

President Fernando Henrique Cardoso stated yesterday, during his speech at the Planalto Palace welcoming the new ministers to his cabinet, that "Internet2 is essential to our future." Fernando Henrique proposed that the new Minister of Science and Technology, Ronaldo Sardenberg, continue with the program developed by his predecessor, Luiz Carlos Bresser Pereira, to strengthen the ties between the Ministry and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). According to the President, technological development along with an adequate scientific base have as great a priority standing in Brazil as do economic issues.

Internet2, a consortium formed by 155 American Universities, comprises one of the projects at University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID). With the joint support of the federal government, the industrial sector and educational research organizations in the United States, the group seeks to further U.S. leadership in the development of advanced networks and enable a new generation of applications. A meeting was held in the U.S. in August 1996, at which the importance of creating a new backbone for the development of Internet2 was established. The Secretary of Science and Technology at the time, Dr. Ivan Moura Campos, took part in this meeting as the official Brazilian representative. At that point it was agreed that Brazil would participate in and develop similar initiatives for the Brazilian networking system. The first meeting of the presidency and the executive commission of UCAID was held with representative members of the Internet2 consortium in October 1997. Representatives from various other countries attended, including those from the National Research Network (RNP) in Brazil.

The Brazilian connection to the Internet2 project has come about as a result of the Call for Proposals of High Performance Metropolitan Network Projects in October 1997, a joint effort put forth by RNP and by the Theme-Oriented Research and Development Program in Computer Science (ProTeM-CC), backed by CNPq. In this first stage, 14 metropolitan-area networks with adequate telecommunications infrastructure are being deployed. In the forthcoming second stage, the National Research Network will connect the ReMAVs on a national scale to form the RNP2 advanced backbone, which will in turn be linked up through high-speed connections to Internet2 in the U.S.

In addition to preparing the nation to link up to the Internet2 project in the U.S., the Call for Proposals of ReMAV projects is bringing about advanced Internet technology and network-based applications on a national scale to meet the needs of modern R&D. Furthermore, it has been developing human resources on a level to comply with state-of-the-art tools developed for this new networking environment.

Further information:

The complete text of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's speech: 
http://www.radiobras.gov.br/abr/integras/integra_1907_2.htm

UCAID
http://www.internet2.edu/ucaid/

Internet2
http://www.rnp.br/rnp2/rnp2-internet2.html

ReMAVs
http://www.rnp.br/remav/index.html

[RNP, 07.20.1999]