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NATO to set up a fiber-optical network covering Caucasus and Central Asia

13 April 2009 16:18 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov â€“ APA-Economics. As an extension of Virtual Silk Way Project, NATO is planning to set up a fiber-optic network to ensure easy and dependable access to the Internet in the Caucasus and Central Asian countries, Jean-Francois Bureau, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy told APA-Economics.

According to him, the project is supported by the European Union.

In his words, the common satellite beam has been enhanced and the speed of the Internet connection might be further improved by developing the fiber-optical network.

In addition to the Caucasus and Central Asian countries, Afghanistan became the ninth member country to benefit from the Virtual Silk Highway project and 6 universities of this country will get high-speed access to the Internet, he said.

The Virtual Silk Highway Project was named after the legendary trade route linking Asia and Europe - the Great Silk Road - which was developed during the first centuries AD.

The SILK Network configuration consists of satellite dishes and network equipment in each of the eight participating countries, a central distribution point (hub) with a dish and network equipment in Western Europe, a contract with a satellite vendor and Internet access. A common satellite beam will connect the academic and educational communities of the eight countries to the Internet.

The Virtual Silk Highway Project covered Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.