Spotlight on Launch of the Philippines – Guam high-speed link
Quezon City, Philippines, 11 December 2023 – A year after the momentous signing of agreements amongst the Arterial Research and Educational Network in the Asia Pacific (ARENA-PAC), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the DOST Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) to establish a high-speed connectivity from the Philippines to Guam, and a month after this link was activated, another laudable achievement in the collaboration is the launch of the Philippine-Guam link this upcoming 3rd Joint PREGINET and COARE Stakeholders’ Meeting on 13 December 2023.
With the Philippines as one of the pilot countries chosen by Prof. Jun Murai of Keio University to connect to ARENA-PAC, it is expected to bolster efforts to promote cooperation and coordination on research activities, resources, and services that can benefit from high-speed networks; sharing of research data; and Open Science.
The launch now signifies a shift in focus for DOST, through DOST-ASTI, to promote the use of this link, facilitate research collaborations, and engage with research and academic organizations that can benefit from it.
Against the backdrop of Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s visit to the Philippines in early November, and his policy address to the Congress of the Philippines that emphasized strengthened relations between Japan and the Philippines through heart-to-heart ties for the next generation, the 3rd joint PREGINET and COARE stakeholders’ meeting pays tribute to the enduring partnerships with Japanese collaborators, marking two decades of shared successes. The theme, "Creating impact: partnerships beyond technology", encapsulates the essence of these collaborations in pushing the boundaries of technological and scientific advancements in the Philippines.
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About ARENA-PAC
ARENA-PAC is a backbone network currently composed of several 100Gbps circuits linking Tokyo, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore to a central hub in Guam. More countries are expected to join in the future.
The ARENA-PAC project is funded by the Asia Pacific Development Trust (APIDT). It is being operated by the WIDE Project of Japan with the support of the Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC).