The second phase of the EU-funded EaPConnect project began in July 2020. Despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and military conflicts in the region, this period has witnessed steady growth in connectivity capacity and service coverage.

This phase of the project has been building upon the activities initiated in phase one, focusing on constructing a robust and resilient high-capacity network complemented by innovative services for the research community.

A key achievement of EaPConnect remains its integration with the pan-European GÉANT activities, services and networks, resulting in significant benefits for research, education and broader society in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Network connectivity

The first project phase showcased remarkable achievements with the increase of network capacity by 10 times, significantly reducing connectivity costs up to 60% or more and expanding the NREN service portfolio with innovative offerings.

What happened in phase two?

  • High capacity achieved in the first phase has resulted in up to a threefold increase in Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, a fivefold increase in Armenia, and a tenfold increase in connectivity in Ukraine.
  • Internet backup links capacity has increased up to 3 times in all the EaP countries.
  • Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) connectivity represents a major connectivity achievement for most of the EaP countries.
  • September 2021 saw the launch of the new ‘spectrum’ high-capacity internet link between Moldova and Ukraine.

The new connectivity completes a Bucharest-Chisinau-Kyiv-Poznan half ring and includes the first regional link between two Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries. The new Chisinau-Kyiv and Kiev-Poznan sections have a 100 Gbps capacity, which means a sixfold increase for Ukraine and an elevenfold increase for Moldova, in addition to their existing links. 

  • The military conflict in Ukraine shifted the focus on network resilience.
  • Through collaboration with GÉANT, procurement efforts successfully reduced internet connectivity prices by a factor of 3.

Services and support

706,000 +

(nearly 60 % of the estimated overall total of 1.2 m potential)

Students, teachers, researchers and staff at universities, research institutes and other connected institutions can access EaPConnect partner networks and services.

Highlights

  • Growth of number of connected institutions:  Georgia (15%), Armenia (12%) and Azerbaijan (8%).
  • URAN managed to retain about the same number of connected institutions despite major disruptions.
  • RENAM experienced re-structure of the country’s R&E sector. As a result, the number of universities in Moldova diminished significantly and a high number of R&E institutions became affiliated to universities. The restructure has not significantly affected the number of RENAM users overall.

The number of services on offer, including those from the GÉANT portfolio, has grown too reaching a total of 19.

eduroam

The eduroam educational roaming Wi-Fi service can now be found in around 345 locations in the region and is a focus of collaboration between some of the partners and the Erasmus+ programme. The service a 45 % growth since the start of the project’s second phase.

Our professors, when visiting universities in Moldova and abroad, can now rely on eduroam: so useful and convenient as it eliminates the need to ‘hunt’ for internet connections when travelling. Additionally, since the beginning of 2024, eduroam connectivity has also been beneficial to our participation in the Erasmus+ project: our lecturers have used it when visiting universities in Europe. We commend RENAM for their prompt and efficient support and competence.

 

Andrei Miculischii, Head of the Information Technology Department, Gregory Tsamblak State University in Taraclia

Cloud Services

132

Organisations are using our clouds

Partners’ cloud services are being used for a wide range of purposes:

  • EOSC development in Georgia and MoldovaEnvironmental sustainability in Armenia and Georgia
  • Medical imaging in Moldova
  • High physics in Georgia
  • Academic publishing in Armenia and Moldova
  • Enabling UKRAINE to maintain its IT infrastructure during the war

Community and collaboration Support for URAN

In April 2022 the GÉANT Association and the Vietsch Foundation launched an initiative to support URAN. This project legally and financially managed by the Vietsch Foundation, has been receiving funds donated by European NRENs to address URAN’s cash flow challenges and help to ensure its survival as an NREN.