telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator) (06/07/91)
Here is a lengthy message I received about recent developments in
telecommunications in Eastern Europe which I thought you would enjoy.
Send comments directly to the poster. PAT
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 91 23:03:27 EDT
From: Richard Budd <KLUB@maristb.bitnet>
Subject: Electronic Mail in Eastern Europe
Received: by MARIST (Mailer R2.07) id 8189; Fri, 08 Mar 91 18:47:06 EST
Date: Wed, 6 Mar 91 14:47:59 EST
Reply-To: Discussion of Polish EARN topics <PLEARN-L@UBVM.BITNET>
Sender: Discussion of Polish EARN topics <PLEARN-L@UBVM.BITNET>
From: Zbigniew Jan Pasek <zbigniew@CAEN.ENGIN.UMICH.EDU>
Subject: Networking in Eastern Europe
X-To: PLEARN-L@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu
To: "Richard Budd KLUB@MARISTB" <KLUB@MARISTB.BITNET>
Zbigniew Pasek, a professor at the University of Michigan, posted this
article about three months ago on POLAND-L. It provides information
about the status of electronic mail and computer networks in the
former East bloc. Considering there was virtually no local area or
wide area networks in these countries two years ago (most of the
residents did not even have telephones), the development of extensive
e-mail networks, particularly in Poland, has been impressive.
Richard Budd | E-Mail: Internet-rcbudd@rhqvm19.vnet.ibm.com
VM Systems Programmer | Bitnet -klub@maristb.bitnet
IBM - Sterling Forest, NY | Phone: (914) 578-3746
Subject of Interest: Telecommunications and networking in Central and
Eastern Europe.
zbigniew@caen.engin.umich.edu quotes in PLEARN-L of 6 March 1991 the
following article:
Networking and Electronic Mail in Eastern European Countries
Claudio Allocchio, INFN
This small note summarizes the results of a survey perfored among
parteci- pants to the First International School on Network Management
and Analysis, held in Trieste from Dec 4th to Dec 16th 1990. The
situation can differ a lot from country to country: some have alreay
networking structures available, some other still lack the basics, but
in all countries there is a strong push to establish connections and
to open conctacts with other nations. The major common problems are
the bad financial situation and licensing. Also know-how is a lacking
point in many situations. A final table tries to compare the different
situations. This note is only a first and non-exausting survey, but I
hope it can help. Let's now look more in detalis the various
situations.
Hungary:
There is currently available a national experimental X.25 network
called IIF "Information Infrastructure Network" of the Hunagarian
Academy of Sciences. This network is a semi-private infrasctructure
for a closed community (the R&D community) but it is operated by
Hungarian PTT. On this network volume charghing is applied. There are
currently one EARN node and one EUnet node, both interfaced with IIF
network. There are plans to increase a lot networking capabilities
within the country in the near future; during 1991 the public X.25
service, interconnected with other PSDNs will be established. The
intention is to run OSI services on the X.25 network, but also a
number of tcp/ip point to point connections are foreseen. A tcp/ip
connection to HEPnet via CERN is also in preparation. E-mail in
Hungary is available via the ELLA system, with an x.400-like user
agent developed locally, running on top of IIF X.25. There is a
gateway connecting ELLA with EUnet and EARN. The plans are to
implement an X.400 MHS as soon as the public x.25 service will be
available.
Poland:
Since a few years there is an experimental x.25 network connecting
8 sites via leased lines. This is supposed to be the kernel of the
Counry Academic Computer Network (KASK) wich is supposed to be
completed at mid 1991, covering 16 sites, and having gateways to EARN
and DFN. There is alrady an EARN con- nection in Warsaw and Wroclaw,
and two DECnet connections to CERN from Cracow and Warsaw. E-mail:
EARN and HEPnet nodes are reachable with their native protocols, but
there is no current gateway to the national x.25 infrastructure.
Romania:
There are currently only a few and poor quality connection in the
country at 4800 bps joining single instituations, and no international
links are available. However the PTT started a program to make
available networking capabilities (x.25) in the country. It will take
some years. For international connectivity satellite links are
probably the correct solution.
USSR:
The USSR situation is very fragmented and there is not what can be
called a 'nation wide' networking strategy. Public X.25 service
(IASNET) is available and is connected to the major PSDNs in the
world, using both ground and satellite links. The research community
had free access to this facility, but starting from 1991 each
Institute will have to pay the service and this is a major problem.
The largest research institutes have some small local private X.25
networks, and DECnet technology is also used locally. Leased lines are
obtainable, but due to the country geographical situation satellite
links are more reliable. Any institute is trying to provide its user
with connectivity with the foreign countries, but often local
connectivity is much less implemented, showing real cooperation
problems exist. The PAD access to remote sites providing services is
the most diffused situation. Apart from public X.25 the cooperative
"DEMOS", settled in Moscow, is the recognized Internet entry point for
domain '.su' and has a link to Helsinki (Finland). It provides access
using UUCP to about 30 sites. Many other institutes join the services
via dial-up connections (remote login) to DEMOS and using Kermit to
transfer data to their remote account. The DEMOS services are
expanding to reach more sites and to improve quality. There is also a
planned EARN link from Moscow to Poland and plans to establish DECnet
connections on top of public x.25 links to the HEPnet community. The
most used connectivity method however is still remote login to some
foreign institute to access its services. Electronic mail is avaiable
from DEMOS sites, via EUnet, but most of other institutes access to it
indirectly via remote login to collaborating remote partners.
Czecholslovakia:
The networking in the country is currently based on 9.6 Kbps lines
used for the national EARN backbone and on 2.4 Kbps dial up lines used
within the EUnet community. International connectivity is assured by
an EARN link joining Pague to Linz (Austria) and an EUnet link joining
Bratislava to Vienna. In 1992 the public X.25 service will be
available with international connectivity. The intention is to build a
national backbone enabling multi- protocol transport (at least SNA,
TCP/IP and X.25) and to have a 64 Kbps link to Internet. Electronic
mail is available directly, using both EARN ans EUnet facilities.
Summary of Networking is Eastern European Countries
| Hungary | Poland | Romania
------- ------ -------
Public X.25 | Expected 1991 | NO (experimental | NO
available | IIF (semi-private | network 8 nodes) |
| network for academic | |
| community, 200 DTEs) | |
| | |
Pad Access | YES | NO | NO
available | | |
| | |
Leased lines | YES (but takes | YES | YES (very
available | long time) | | poor quality)
| | |
Available | up to 9600 bps | up to 9600 bps | up to 4800 bps
Speed | | |
| | |
Satellite/ | ground | ground | ground
Ground lines | | |
| | |
DECnet net | some Local | some local | NO
exists | implementations | one link to CERN |
| | |
TCP/IP net | some local | 1 local | NO
exists | implementations | implementation |
| | |
EARN net | one link to | one int'l link, | NO
exists | TU-Wien | 5 nodes |
| | |
EUnet net | one link | NO | NO
exists | | |
| | |
Other net | IIF nation | exper. X.25 | NO
exists | wide X.25 | nation wide |
| | |
Planned | YES | YES | --
DECnet | nation wide | some sites |
| | |
Planned | YES | YES | --
TCP/IP | nation wide | nation wide |
| | |
Planned | YES | YES (SNA) | YES
EARN | nation wide | nation wide |
| | |
Planned | YES | -- | --
EUnet | nation wide | |
| | |
LAN | NOVELL, | NOVELL | NOVELL
technology | DECnet | |
| | |
E-mail | YES | YES | NO
available | directly | directly |
| | |
E-mail | ELLA, UUCP | VMSmail, | N/A
protocols | RSCS | RSCS |
| USSR | Czechoslovakia
---- ---------------
Public X.25 | YES, IASNET connected | NO (expected in
available | to most of PSDN in | 1992)
| Europe and USA |
| |
Pad Access | YES (x.21) but not | NO
available | from all sites |
| |
Leased lines | YES, but sometines | YES
available | with poor quality |
| |
Available | up to 9600 bps | up to 9600 bps
Speed | |
| |
Satellite/ | ground & satellite | ground
Ground lines | |
| |
DECnet net | some Local | NO
exists | implementations |
| |
TCP/IP net | NO | NO
exists | |
| |
EARN net | NO | one int'l link,
exists | | 5 nodes
| |
EUnet net | YES, link to Finland | YES
exists | |
| |
Other net | -- | --
exists | |
| |
Planned | YES | NO
DECnet | nation wide |
| |
Planned | YES | YES
TCP/IP | nation wide | nation wide
| |
Planned | YES | YES
EARN | nation wide | nation wide
| |
Planned | YES | --
EUnet | nation wide |
| |
LAN | Ethernet, | Ethernet
technology | DECnet |
| |
E-mail | YES, directly from | YES
available | some sites | directly
| |
E-mail | UUCP | UUCP,
protocols | | RSCS
Yugoslavia:
3123 YUBGEF51 YUBGSS21 Electrical Engineering Faculty, Universit JNET 90/07/03
0063 YUBGSS21 AEARN Republicki Zavod za Statistiku SR Srbije JES2 90/08/17
Hungary:
3224 HUEARN AEARN Computer and Automation Institute Budapes RSCS 90/07/03
Czechoslovakia:
3223 CSEARN AEARN Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech RSCS 90/11/30
1128 CSPGAS11 CSEARN Institute of Information Theory and Autom RSCS 90/11/30
1024 CSPGCE11 CSEARN Faculty of Civil Engineering of CVUT,Prag RSCS 90/11/30
1037 CSPGEU11 CSEARN Prague School of Economics RSCS 90/11/30
1055 CSPUNI12 CSEARN Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech RSCS 90/11/30
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