Metropolitan Area Networks in Poznań, Gdańsk, Lublin, and Puławy are the first in Poland to have a bandwidth of 10 Gb/s. This bandwidth is identical to that achieved in the nationwide PIONIER network. Thanks to the modernization of the MAN infrastructure based on Cisco Systems switches, the network will be able to be used for transmitting data, video, and voice. At the same time, the network will be able to handle a significantly larger number of users – mainly public utility institutions, such as: local government administration, schools and libraries, healthcare, and public services.
The POZMAN, LUBMAN, TASK, and PULMAN networks have a bandwidth of 10 Gb/s. This speed is identical to the speed of the nationwide optical Internet for Science network – PIONIER. The increased network bandwidth will enable research units using MAN to transmit a larger amount of data of a diverse nature, including voice and video (Triple Play). It is also planned to connect public utility units to the network, which will allow for a significant qualitative change in the process of shaping an information society in Poland, i.e., a knowledge-based society.
– The implementation of new devices is the next stage in the expansion of Polish Scientific and Research Networks. It is also worth emphasizing here that the PIONIER network, connecting the largest academic centers in Poland, will already have approximately 6,000 km of its own fiber optic cables in 2006. This will enable the connection of all 21 urban centers with a double loop – two broadband connections – to the PIONIER infrastructure. Thanks to this, the data transmission speed in the network will reach up to 20 Gb/s. It will therefore be not only the fastest network in Europe, but also one of the fastest in the world – says Zbigniew Krzewiński from the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center, the operator of the PIONIER network in Poland, and simultaneously the operator of the POZMAN network.
The expansion of the network was possible thanks to the use of Cisco Systems solutions, which were provided by the System Integrator, ALMA SA. The network was enriched with Cisco Catalyst 6500 switches with 10GE ports.
MAN networks exist in 21 cities in Poland. They were created to guarantee connectivity between academic and scientific centers, such as: universities and scientific and research units throughout Poland.