The state-run agency Red.es and the Canary Islands Oceanic Platform have signed an agreement to connect the PLOCAN platform to the RedIRIS fibre-optic network and, through it, to other national and international scientific and academic institutions.
The agreement signed by the director general of Red.es, Alberto Martínez Lacambra, and the director of PLOCAN, José Joaquín Hernández Brito, will upgrade PLOCAN’s communications infrastructure to fibre optics to conform to the high-capacity, reliability, security, flexibility and control standards required by all research centres of its category.
In addition, it will foster collaboration between all researchers and improve access for the national and international scientific and academic community to the data generated by the centre and to its instruments through RedIRIS.
The RedIRIS fibre-optic network is the Spanish academic and research network that provides advanced communications services to the national scientific and academic community. It is funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and is listed on its map of Unique Scientific and Technical Facilities (ICTS). RedIRIS has over 500 affiliated institutions, mainly universities and public research centres.
It also provides various online services to affiliated institutions (roaming, authentication, distribution lists, security, grid computing, multicast content, consultancy, etc.). To deliver these services, RedIRIS has at its disposal RedIRIS-NOVA: a dark fibre trunk transmission network with long-term IRU (indefeasible right of use), wide national coverage and a reach of about 14,000 km.
The PLOCAN data network currently provides connectivity to its researchers, with access to the national scientific network (RedIRIS) and, through it, to the internet. This network consists of a 10Gbps direct link to the head offices in Taliarte (Telde, Gran Canaria), configured on RedIRIS-NOVA infrastructure. The nearby Piedra Santa electrical substation currently has 4G connection and the offshore platform is connected via radio link to the Taliarte head office.
