European Consortium Gets Go Ahead to Strengthen The Future of Communication Networks

- Six Key Technology Partners from UK, Finland and Israel, includes Ethos Networks - 

Israel, 28 May 2008: The ETNA European consortium (Ethernet Transport Networks Architectures of Networking), which is comprised of leading European technology companies and universities has announced that it has received approval from the European Commission to execute the proposed ETNA project which will analyse, design and validate future metro and core networks based on Ethernet technology.

The goal of ETNA is to propose a model architecture for a low cost pan-European Ethernet network capable of serving millions of subscribers, providing common, reliable and secure transport infrastructure for different current and future network services. The ETNA project is part of the Seventh EU Framework Program (FP7) and started on 01/01/2008. The two year project is expected to end by 31/12/2009. 

The ETNA consortium includes Nokia Siemens Networks Technologies (IL, project coordinator), BT (UK), Ethos Networks (IL), Ben Gurion University of the Negev (IL), Helsinki University of Technology (FI) and Ernst & Young Israel (IL). The ETNA Consortium will invest a total of €3.4 million over the next two years, of which the European Commission will contribute €2.2 million.
 
The successful development of the Ethernet network has the potential to shape future developments of information and communication technologies and will deliver significant benefits for European citizens and businesses. Low cost, scalable and efficient Ethernet transport networks will enable the development of a wide range of innovative applications and will create new opportunities for high value products and services.

The ETNA consortium will define the requirements for new and innovative nation-wide Ethernet networks, research and develop architectures necessary to operate these networks in a cost-effective manner, design the network capabilities to deliver services to residential, business and mobile subscribers and investigate techno-economic models of such architectures. 

"We are proud to advance our research in the field of ICT with world leading research and industrial organizations,” said Ilya Vershkov, ETNA project coordinator. “This project serves as a further example of the commitment the ETNA partners to develop new and innovative solutions and to demonstrate a prototype of the network nodes. The network will be based on Ethernet technology and capable of providing scalable point to point and multipoint services and support mobility in Ethernet networks”.

For more information on the ETNA project, visit http://www.ict-etna.eu For more information on the FP7, visit http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7