The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Pakistan Higher Education Commission (HEC) applaud the creation of a functional U.S.-Pakistan network connection. This connection was "inaugurated" last week during the Internet2 Emerging National Research and Education Networks ("NREN") session at the Fall Internet2 meeting in New Orleans.

Representatives from the HEC in Pakistan participated in the meeting via a 155Mbps connection from Islamabad to the TEIN2 network, the NSF- funded TransPAC2 network, and the Internet2 network. The virtual participants from Pakistan were joined by virtual participants from Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt, India, Ecuador, Chile and Sweden.

 "This represents a major milestone in the development of physical network connectivity between Pakistan and the global scientific community," said Arden L. Bement, Jr., director of the National Science Foundation. "I applaud the diligent and sustained efforts of technologists and governments in the U.S., Europe and Pakistan needed to make this vision a reality. Now we must continue those efforts toward our true goal of enhancing global research and education collaborations." (complete story )