Prof. Shoichiro ASANO
Research and Development Department NACSIS

1. International Coordination for Realizing GII
   The industrialized nations are now rapidly constructing the infrastructure for information and communications. Concrete measures are being taken in the three fields of information and communications networks, content, and applications. Agreement was reached in 1994 at the Naples Summit to coordinate policies with the aim of coordinating these efforts internationally and thus constructing a global information infrastructure (GII).

   In response to this, the Conference G7 Ministers on the Information Society was held in February 1995 in Brussels where eight principles were adopted for realization of the GII, that is:
   (1) Promotion of dynamic competition
   (2) Encouragement of private investment
   (3) Definition of framework of applicable regulations
   (4) Open access to networks
   (5) Universal provision of services and guarantee of access
   (6) Promotion of equal opportunity to citizens
   (7) Promotion of diversity of content including cultural and linguistic diversity
   (8) Recognition of the importance of international cooperation in a manner giving special consideration to developing countries

   At the same time, a consensus was obtained regarding specific policy options (six policies) for constructing an information society, that is:
   (1) Promotion of interconnectivity and interoperability
   (2) Development of global market for networks, services, and applications
   (3) Guarantee of privacy and data security
   (4) Protection of intellectual property
   (5) Cooperation in R&D and development of new applications
   (6) Monitoring of social impact of information society

   The G7 countries and the European Commission simultaneously selected 11 pilot projects for specific advancement of these policy options. In selecting these, they gave consideration to encouraging cooperation among industrial, academic, and administrative organizations and the existence of clear added value in the development of an information society. The following is a list of the selected projects.
   (1) Global inventory
   (2) Global interoperability of broadband networks
   (3) Heterocultural training and education
   (4) Electronic libraries
   (5) Electronic museums
   (6) Management of the environment and natural resources
   (7) International emergency crisis management
   (8) International health care applications
   (9) On-line government
   (10)International markets for SMEs
   (11)Maritime information system is participating in (2) and (4) on the behalf of Japan as a whole. In this article, particular attention is paid to the tests for the project on global interoperability of broadband networks (GIBN).

2. GIBN (Global Interoperability of Broadband Networks)
   As mentioned in the preceding section, the G7 countries and the European Commission launched a project for the global interoperability of broadband networks (GIBN). Canada and Japan have taken the lead and commenced experiments in this regard. In Japan, the National Center for Science Information Systems is operating a broadband network using an ATM system. Canada (CANARIE), the UK (Super JANET), the U.S. (vBNS), Europe (EuropaNet), etc. are also engaged in or are planning similar efforts. Further, CERN etc. are establishing ATM systems for international energy science networks and applications are being developed for high speed networks such as with the ACTS plan of the European Union. The GIBN has as its object interconnection of the research networks already in operation and verification of interconnectivity and at the same time the pooling of R&D findings relating to superhigh speed networks among different countries. The mandate for this was initially set as lasting until March 1997, but is scheduled to be extended.

   Unfortunately, no specific funds have been allocated for the GIBN. The telecommunication circuits required for international connections are secured through grant aid by international telecommunications concerns. The lines between Japan and the U.S. are provided through the cooperation of KDD and AT&T of the U.S. 150 Mb/s lines became available for use from September 1996. Separate lines have been established between Canada and Germany. These have not however been interconnected.

   There are currently 14 projects underway relating to the GIBN including a project for use of lines scheduled to be laid in the future. Japan is involved in five of the plans (one of which uses telecommunications satellites). The experiments now under way between Japan and the U.S. are as follows:
   (1) Proving tests on long-distance health care for treatment of cancer etc. (participating organizations: Nagoya University Medical School, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Communications Research Laboratory of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Duke University of the U.S.)
   (2) Proving tests on long-distance health care in neurology and internal medicine (participating organizations: Kyushu University Medical School, University of Industry and Medicine, Communications Research Laboratory of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Cleveland Clinic of the U.S.)
   (3) Experiments on long-distance R&D (participating organizations: Physical and Chemical Research Institute, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, University of Michigan of the U.S.)
   (4) Proving tests on quality control of broadband networks (participating organizations: National Center for Science Information Systems, NTT Multimedia Networks Laboratories, University of Wisconsin of the U.S.)

   The National Center for Science Information Systems has been engaged in development of technology for high speed networks since 1993 under a Grant in Aid for Scientific Research (Creative Basic Researches) of Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture as a joint project of the NACSIS, universities, and the NTT's Laboratories. In the GIBN project, it has disclosed the findings of its R&D to American researchers with the aim of encouraging development of applications. Specifically,
   (1) It is difficult to positively control the quality of communications with the current Internet, but it was proved that the ATM system would enable the necessary communication bands to be secured and the quality sought for applications to be realized (this basic technology is recommended as a current Internet standard).
   (2)In multicast transmission of video images such as with lectures, a system for splitting the video information, transferring amounts suited to the individual transmission capacities, and as a result improving the usability of video transmissions was proved.
   (3) The international utilization of video servers (VoD) using these basic technologies was proved.

   The figure shows the configuration used in the current test. With this configuration, verification, performance evaluation, and comprehensive comparison with other schemes will be made. Demonstrations are planned for the GIBN Conference scheduled for January 1997. This project is mostly designed to present Japanese R&D findings to the international community. NACSIS will work so that it is assessed as a whole.

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