One of the main missions of the Foundation for Science and Technology, through the FCCN unit, is to ensure that the academic and scientific community remains connected by providing a fast and efficient internet connection. Learn how this happens and which services enable this goal.
The beginning of the Internet in Portugal
Connectivity has been a part of FCCN's operations since its inception. In the fall of 1991, Portugal became connected to the Internet as a result of the "RCCN IP Service" project, led by the FCCN unit. (then Foundation for the Development of National Means of Scientific Calculation).
Since then, much has changed. There's been a significant evolution in infrastructure, which has now allowed us to access 100 Gbps of internet. However, regardless of the speed, the goal remains the same: make communication between the national and international academic and scientific community more efficient, through effective connectivity services.
This is why Connectivity is one of the pillars of the FCCN unit's mission. Through the Science, Technology and Society Network (RCTS) – the digital infrastructure of Connectivity and Computing, aimed at the Research and Teaching community – ensures Communication, Collaboration and the development of new Scientific Knowledge. Learn more about each of the FCCN Connectivity services:
#1 eduroam
A regular presence on Portuguese teaching campuses since 2003, the eduroam network guarantees secure Internet access for the entire Teaching and Research community. Each user has their own access credential, which is valid in institutions around the world. Therefore, with the same login, you can access the internet in over 100 countries and territories worldwide. In Europe, for example, there are over 15,000 hotspots.
Eduroam was created about two decades ago, with Portugal being one of the six “pioneer” countries of the initiative, along with the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Croatia, and the United Kingdom. Since then, the management and monitoring of eduroam in Portugal has been handled by the FCCN unit.
#2 GigaPIX
THE GigaPIX is a Internet Exchange Point provided by the FCCN unit that has a direct impact on Internet usage in Portugal. First of all, this is a service that allows multiple Internet providers and content distribution networks to exchange traffic with each other, generating greater connection speeds.
Since GigaPix member entities can exchange Internet traffic, these significantly reduce costs, avoiding the use of international calls and finding more economically profitable paths. Companies like Microsoft, Google or Meo/Altice are some of those that are part of GigaPIX
In addition to reducing costs, GigaPIX improves the Internet user experience (both when browsing and streaming or video games online), further increasing the redundancy of the network infrastructure, as well as its reliability and security.
#3 RCTS IP
RCTS IP is the service that connects teaching and science entities to the global Internet, which includes knowledge networks such as the European academic network, GÉANT, or the Spanish one RedIRIS. It is from this service that all other FCCN services and applications are made available, whether they are related to collaboration, knowledge, computing or security.
Between 2017 and 2022, a requalification project was developed that expanded the fiber optic infrastructure of the national education and research network and ensured its technological updating – the RCTS100. In addition to activating new fiber optic infrastructure routes, which enabled upgrading connections to several higher education institutions, this initiative also enabled the creation of new rings in the network.
#4 RCTS Plus
Through RCTS Plus, you can access advanced features that are guaranteed through the creation of Virtual Private Networks (VPN). These VPNs allow for the exchange of large volumes of data in a simple and integrated manner. Therefore, this service is designed for projects or applications that require high-performance switched connectivity.
This service can be used by all institutions that have joined RCTS IP, with speeds of 1 Gbits/s or 100 Gbits/s being available, using their own address. It is also possible to include entities from other European academic networks, through the equivalent GÉANT Plus service.
#5 RCTS Lambda
“Communicate at the speed of light” is the proposal of the RCTS Lambda project, materialized through the creation of point-to-point connections (with low latency and constant jitter – deviation from the periodicity of a presumably periodic signal –), typically between two locations within the same entity. This possibility is guaranteed by the investment in more than 2,600 km of exclusive fiber optics from RCTS.
This way, It is possible, through this service, to offer almost unlimited communications for students, teachers, researchers and other users, with data transfer at 100Gbps, on an isolated and dedicated channel, which does not influence the performance of other RCTS connectivity services.
Some of the applications of this service relate to projects that use advanced computing and data storage, particularly in areas such as Medicine, Biology, Astronomy, or Particle Physics.
#6 RCTS FIBER
This service from the FCCN unit allows teaching and research institutions to create fiber optic networks tailored to their needs. By providing a fiber optic pair, without any active equipment in between, total traffic isolation and the highest levels of security are guaranteed.
It's also possible to choose which technologies to use, allowing for a flexible response to the organization's specific needs. By providing a fully isolated means of transportation, this service meets the highest information security requirements.
#7 RCTS VoIP
Voice over Internet (Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP) is the technology that allows telephone calls to be made over a data network by converting an analog voice signal into a digital signal. Thus, the voice is sent over the Internet connection in the form of packets with IP addresses.
At the moment, around 40 institutions already use this service, ensuring cost reduction, since these calls can be made without any associated cost, between entities participating in the service. This is a service that It operates 24 hours a day, under controlled conditions, through high-speed connectivity, which makes it highly reliable.
More information about these FCCN unit services that aim to boost Connectivity in Portugal and beyond borders at https://www.fccn.pt/conectividade/
