BSI · Black Sea Interconnection

The South Caucasus countries, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are linked to the pan European research backbone GEANT with only limited capacities which constitutes a major blocking factor to consolidate the potential of the region and to establish stronger links with the scientific community of the EU. The establishment of high speed connections between the South Caucasus countries and to GEANT will both introduce new technologies and services to the Information Society in those countries and be an important step towards the integration of those countries' scientific potential to the European infrastructure. The Black Sea Interconnection (BSI) project with the participation of ULAKBIM, GRNET, CEENET,DANTE, GRENA, AZRENA and Academia of Science aims to setup and operate such a network among South Caucasus countries.<br/>A number of projects funded by EC and NATO have contributed to the development of e-Societies and the networking infrastructure in the region. These projects served the dissemination of research networking knowledge and constitution of regional Information Society by creating a human network in the region. Besides, the limited connection capacities among the NRENs and to GEANT harden the consolidation of regional scientific potential and they are inadequate for involving in scientific strategies and working groups of GEANT project.<br/>The BSI project intends bridging the digital divide that exists between the South Caucasus countries and Europe by establishing a regional research and education network in the region and connecting it to GEANT. Project involves development of strategies for interconnecting the existing infrastructures in the region, realization of the connections and supplying operational support for the established network. In addition, BSI will contribute to the integration of South Caucasus scientific potential to Europe by successfully disseminating the infrastructure and promoting the IST projects in South Caucasus countries