This week in Manchester, SURF participated in the 54th LHCOPN-LHCONE meeting, where global experts gathered to discuss the evolution of research networking. It was a special occasion as we celebrated 20 years since the first LHCOPN meeting, reflecting on how far we’ve come in enabling high-speed data transfer from CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to researchers worldwide.
At the heart of it all, we organize IT infrastructure to make science happen—to help researchers probe the fundamental nature of the universe. Whether it’s LHC physicists searching for the building blocks of matter or SKA astronomers listening to the faintest signals from the early universe, both fields generate massive amounts of data that push the limits of computing and networking.
Sessions on LHC’s evolving network infrastructure highlighted valuable lessons as we discuss how to develop the SKA Observatory’s data systems. While the scale and patterns of data movement may differ, exploring synergies between NREN-based networks for LHC and SKA was particularly insightful.
Of course, no meeting is complete without spirited debates—this time on the broader challenges of expanding network capabilities for large-scale scientific projects. The conversation naturally raised questions of trust, Acceptable Use Policies (AUP), and the impact on existing communities. The balance between openness and security, integration and specialization, is a fine one. And as history has shown, discussions on centralized vs. federated models tend to resurface over time—sometimes wrapped in new proposals, sometimes in a familiar shade of red.
As always in these meetings, technical discussions mixed with broader questions of policy, trust, and governance—some unfolding over structured sessions, others in those classic last-minute deep dives when time was running short. Because in research networking, the big questions are never just about technology.
Grateful for the engaging discussions, the shared knowledge, and the beautiful opening trip down memory lane. Plenty to reflect on and even more to explore—let’s keep the momentum going!
Back from #APAN59, and what a fantastic experience! Honored to represent SURF and #NetherLight, highlighting their impact in international research collaborations—especially between scientists in Japan and in the Netherlands.
It was great to reconnect with peers worldwide, make new connections, and gain fresh insights. Huge thanks to all the speakers and moderators for their excellent work, including my dear colleague Alexander van den Hil whose expertise also as a moderator I very much admire!
And of course, a big thank you to everyone who made this event so valuable, and to #APAN for an outstanding conference. Looking forward to what’s next!
皆さん、本当にありがとうございました！ (Minasan, hontō ni arigatō gozaimashita!) Thank you all very much!
What an insightful day in Berlin! A big thank you to Stefan Piger and Leonie Schäfer from DFN-Verein for the engaging discussions and valuable learnings. It was a pleasure to exchange ideas and explore opportunities for collaboration together. Looking forward to continuing this conversation!
Traditionally, the Netherlands has been an important digital hub in Europe. Sea cables landed in the Netherlands and made Amsterdam a digital hub. That had enormous appeal for parties that need a strong digital network, such as education and research. The leading position that the Netherlands has had for a long time is now under pressure. Why is that? Why is it bad if we lose that position? And what will it take not to lose this important position?
Listen to this episode (in Dutch) of SURFsounds with Peter van Burgel, CEO of Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) and Alexander van der Hil, international policy and strategy advisor at SURF.
Dutch, Nordic, and Canadian research and education networks upgrade their trans-Atlantic link to 400 Gigabits per second (Gbps) as part of the Advanced North Atlantic (ANA) consortium.
The research and education network organizations of the Netherlands, the Nordic countries and Canada have signed an agreement to upgrade the existing connection between Amsterdam and Montréal from 100 Gbps to 400 Gbps, placing it among the most powerful intercontinental connections in the world.
The Amsterdam-Montréal connection was established five years ago by SURF, the national research and education network (NREN) of the Netherlands, in collaboration with NORDUnet, the regional NREN of the five Nordic countries. With the new agreement, CANARIE – the federal partner in Canada’s NREN – joins, with the three partners contributing equally.
The Advanced North Atlantic (ANA) consortium is a joint effort of nine research and education networking organizations in North America, Europe, and Asia committed to maintaining, operating, and sharing a high-speed trans-Atlantic network infrastructure.
Partners chip in
The strength of ANA consortium lies in the contribution that each partner makes to the system, and shares this with the ANA membership to achieve a better infrastructure for all. Since all members are organizations that exist to build and operate infrastructure to accommodate the needs specific to research and education, the willingness to contribute has been high.
“This upgrade is a natural response to the increasing demand of research and education data and services exchange across the Atlantic Ocean, for example research enabled by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and Square Kilometer Array (SKA) instruments. The ANA consortium is an excellent example of the impact of partnerships on the collective good. This partnership enables our three national research and education networks to do more together than we can do on our own, maximizing the impact of our individual investments – both on the researchers in our home countries and the global science initiatives they collaborate in,” says Mark Wolff, Chief Technology Officer, CANARIE.
“The partners chip in when and where they can, but always with an eye to the capacity and redundancy of the entire system. This is one of the advantages of being in the research and education network community. Collaboration is smooth and trustful,” says Lars Lange Bjørn, Team Lead, Network & Service Technology, NORDUnet.
A connection landing in Canada
ANA began a little more than a decade ago as a pilot project, trying to probe interest in a 100 Gbps connection for research and education across the North Atlantic Ocean. In 2013, the first such connection was established.
Currently, 13 connections across the Atlantic Ocean are operated as a unified system by the ANA partners.
“Notably, the other 12 connections all land in the USA. Our connection is the only one landing in Canada, and this is essential for sufficient fail-over capacity and redundancy in the system,” says Harold Teunissen, Director Network and Campus at SURF.
The 400 Gbps upgrade for the Amsterdam-Montréal connection is expected to be completed by September 2025.
The Advanced North Atlantic (ANA) consortium members are KISTI, SURF, NORDUnet, NII, Indiana University, ESnet, Internet2, CANARIE, GÉANT.
NORDUnet is a collaboration between the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) of the five Nordic countries, i.e., Denmark (DeiC), Finland (Funet/CSC), Iceland (RHnet), Norway (Sikt), and Sweden (Sunet). NORDUnet operates a world-class data network, based on dark fiber and spectrum sharing, together with support for e-infrastructures, including media services like videoconferencing and lecture capturing & playback. More than 400 research & education institutions in the Nordics, with over 1.2 million users, are connected via the Nordic NREN networks, enabling scientists, educators, and students to work and share knowledge globally. NORDUnet is an active participant in the European NREN collaboration GÉANT and is a founding father of intercontinental NREN collaborations such as the Advanced North Atlantic (ANA) and Asia Pacific Europe Ring (AER) systems that are part of the Global Research and Education Network (GREN). In 2020, NORDUnet celebrated 40 years of Nordic NREN collaboration.
About SURF
SURF is the ICT cooperative of Dutch education and research institutions. The members, the owners of SURF, join forces to develop or procure the best possible digital services, work together on complex innovation issues and develop and share knowledge with each other.
SURF actively collaborates with other European NRENs united in GÉANT and participates in global consortia like the Advanced North Atlantic (ANA) and Asia Pacific Europe Ring (AER).
NetherLight, SURF’s Global Exchange Point (GXP) dedicated to research and education data in Amsterdam connects similar GXPs and advanced high-capacity networks for scientific and educational collaboration. The NetherLight GXP plays a major and vital role in the federation of research and education networks worldwide, also known as the Global Research and Education Network (GREN)
CANARIE, together with its 13 provincial and territorial partners, forms Canada’s National Research and Education Network (NREN). This ultra-high-speed network connects Canada’s researchers and educators to each other and to global data, technology, and colleagues.
To strengthen the security of Canada’s research and education sector, CANARIE collaborates with its partners in the NREN, government, academia, and the private sector to fund, implement, and support cybersecurity initiatives. CANARIE also provides identity management services to the academic community through eduroam and identity and access management services.
Established in 1993, CANARIE is a non-profit corporation, with most of its funding provided by the Government of Canada.
During the SuperComputing 2024 (SC24) event in Atlanta, the Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) led an ambitious experiment using a global-scale experimental network. This network, established through collaboration with 19 international partners, connected Tokyo and Atlanta with 10 high-speed 100 Gbps paths, achieving a total capacity of 800 Gbps. The project showcased groundbreaking demonstrations of high-speed data transfer, anonymous communication, and innovative data management.
One notable highlight was a data transfer experiment that reached 466 Gbps, and an award-winning anonymous communication demonstration by Osaka University achieved 588 Gbps while ensuring robust privacy.
NetherLight, the Global Exchange Point (GXP) run by SURF, played a critical role facilitating these complex experiments. Other key contributors included research and education networks and GXP’s from around the world, showcasing the collective effort required to achieve such innovation.
This NICT experiment at SC24 emphasizes the importance of international collaboration and partnerships in global research and education networks. By working together in experiments like these, we can collectively show and assess the potential for transformative technologies in data handling and communication, essential for future scientific progress.
For more details, pictures and graphics, and information about the contributing parties in this experiment, please read the full NICT press release here.
At SuperComputing 2024 (SC24) in Atlanta, an international collaboration showcased a groundbreaking demonstration of distributed hybrid quantum computing secured by advanced post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and quantum key distribution (QKD). This global effort brought together partners from Europe and the USA, highlighting how quantum and classical computing systems can be integrated and secured on a world scale.
The Challenge and Opportunity of Quantum Computing
Quantum computing holds immense potential for solving complex problems in fields like chemistry, biology, meteorology, and financial systems—challenges beyond the reach of classical computing. However, the technology’s cost, sensitivity, and limited availability present hurdles to its widespread application. Moreover, quantum computing threatens the security of current encryption systems, raising the stakes for robust, future-proof solutions.
To address these challenges, the demonstration aimed to:
1. Combine quantum computing with classical resources to improve accessibility and cost-effectiveness.
2. Enable global distribution of these hybrid systems for broader researcher access.
3. Protect these systems and data against threats in a post-quantum cryptographic environment.
International Collaboration Driving Innovation
This demonstration was the result of an international partnership involving European organizations (PSNC, GÉANT, SURF/NetherLight) and U.S. institutions (Internet2, ESnet, ICAIR/Northwestern University, StarLight). Together, they built a transatlantic hybrid quantum-classical computing network connecting testbeds in Poznan, Poland, and Atlanta, USA, using live production networking infrastructure.
SURF and its NetherLight exchange played a pivotal role, enabling global connectivity alongside other major networks like GÉANT, Internet2, and SCinet. This collaborative approach leveraged expertise and resources from all partners to push the boundaries of what’s possible in quantum and classical computing integration.
Technical Breakthroughs and Secure Data Transmission
The demonstration showcased:
– Hybrid quantum-classical computing integration using Quantum Processing Units (QPUs), CPUs, and GPUs.
– High-speed data transmission over transatlantic links secured with PQC algorithms and QKD encryption.
– Advanced security measures, including DWDM services for long-distance encryption and QKD technology for local network data security.
This setup demonstrated the viability of a distributed quantum-classical infrastructure capable of supporting research use cases in fields like material science and optimization. By employing existing quantum computing systems with ~100 qubit capacity, the project advances the goal of achieving “quantum utility.”
A Model for Future Innovation
The SC24 demonstration underscores the power of international collaboration to solve complex challenges and drive technological breakthroughs. By integrating cutting-edge technologies and resources from diverse global partners, this project paves the way for the next generation of secure, distributed quantum computing infrastructure.
SURF and NetherLight’s participation exemplifies their commitment to advancing science and innovation through global partnerships. Together with other partners, they are demonstrating how collective efforts can unlock the potential of quantum computing for research and education worldwide.
The project was featured at SC24’s Network Research Exhibition, with a live presentation at the NRE Theatre, showcasing the transformative potential of distributed hybrid quantum computing.
For further information and the full press release, please continue here.
Hosted by the Institute of High Energy Physics (the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) in Beijing, now a Tier-1 data center for the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (#WLCG), the event focussed on progress and current challenges in network connectivity and infrastructure needs for the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC).
The information gathered by the HL-LHC will help scientists investigate deeper questions about the fundamental structure of the universe, such as the properties of the Higgs boson, the nature of dark matter, the existence of new particles or forces, and potential deviations from the Standard Model of particle physics.
A special shoutout to Arno Bakker for his first talk representing SURF and NetherLight and many thanks to all the speakers and participants for their valuable contributions.
SURF, the collaborative organisation for IT in Dutch education and research, continues to push the boundaries of optical communication.
In a strategic partnership with Ribbon, SURF successfully achieved 800G over an existing 1,650 km fibre-optic link. This link connects renowned research institutes, including Nikhef, to the Large Hadron Collider on the CERN campus in Geneva, marking a significant milestone in optical communication.
The trial demonstrated several of Ribbon’s advanced transport solutions:
Apollo TM800_2, using 5nm-140Gbaud transmission technology, optimises capacity and reach for 800G transport.
Apollo Open Optical Line Systems, including hybrid EDFA-Raman amplifiers, maximise the capacity of SURF’s existing G655 and G652 fibres and successfully carry third-party vendor wavelengths.
NPT 2400 metro router, interoperable with SURF’s network, delivers 2x400GbE uplinks running EVPN services over BGP to 8x100G ports within the network.
Harold Teunissen, Director of Network and Campus at SURF, stated that the trial with Ribbon “pushes the boundaries of our current fibre and demonstrates what is technically possible with Ribbon’s equipment.”
He added that it “marks a crucial step forward as we prepare our network to meet the future needs of scientific research and education in the Netherlands and beyond.”
In collaboration with Nokia, Nikhef, and CERN, SURF successfully tested the data transmission speed between CERN in Geneva and Amsterdam. The test achieved an impressive speed of 800Gbps over the 1648-kilometre fibre-optic link. This confirms the network’s readiness to handle future large-scale data flows, such as those generated by CERN’s particle accelerator.
Upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider The test was conducted in preparation for the planned upgrade of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in 2029. This upgrade will enable more precise measurements, facilitating detailed research into the origins of the universe. The upgrade is expected to result in five to seven and a half times more research data than currently produced. All this data will need to be distributed to universities and research groups worldwide, including those in the Netherlands, via networks such as SURF’s.
To successfully transport this immense volume of data, SURF has optimised its optical network. Nokia tested its latest-generation network cards to evaluate their performance over the SURF network under such demanding conditions. The successful test demonstrated that this section of SURF’s network between Amsterdam and Geneva can handle significantly higher capacities than previously anticipated.
Increasing Demand for Bandwidth and Network Speed The upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider aligns with the global trend of data-intensive research requiring higher network speeds, increased bandwidth, and greater storage capacity. Research projects such as the Square Kilometre Array, the Einstein Telescope, the Low-Frequency Array, and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor also generate massive data streams, demanding speeds beyond the current 100Gbps and 400Gbps standards.
Insights and Follow-Up Tests Testing an operational network connection over long distances using real data from the Large Hadron Collider provides unique insights into data transport and storage at scale. These types of tests, regularly conducted by SURF in collaboration with various network partners, are essential for enhancing infrastructure to support data-intensive research.
SURF continues to innovate by testing, optimising, and expanding its network, global network hubs, storage capacity, and computational power. The goal is to ensure that data-intensive research can be conducted effectively now and in the future.
