This month, Jisc has reengineered connectivity between Janet and GÉANT, now delivered via a single 400Gbit/s port (previously multiples of 100Gbit/s) — a significant step that reinforces the UK’s place at the heart of global research and education.
As well as the obvious benefits of lower port, power and space consumption, this upgrade reflects the growing demand from UK universities, colleges and research organisations for faster, more resilient and more capable international connectivity. As education and research become ever more collaborative, data‑intensive and global in nature, strong links to international partners are no longer a “nice to have” — they are essential national infrastructure.
Why GÉANT matters to Janet
GÉANT is the pan‑European research and education network, providing high capacity connectivity between more than 40 research networks across Europe, and to research networks in other world regions. The relationship between Janet and GÉANT is vital because it provides the digital “bridge” connecting the UK’s research and education community to the rest of the world.
Whether it’s physicists collaborating on particle experiments, climate scientists exchanging vast datasets, or universities delivering joint degrees with overseas partners, GÉANT underpins a huge amount of international activity that UK researchers and learners depend on every day.
Enhancing connectivity between Janet and GÉANT ensures that this collaboration remains fast, reliable and future-proofed.
Meeting the needs of modern research and education
The volume and importance of international data flows continue to grow. Research facilities generate ever‑larger datasets. Cloud platforms and international supercomputing resources are now integral to many disciplines. Teaching and learning increasingly span borders, institutions and continents.
Janet’s connectivity to GÉANT delivers:
- Capacity, enabling UK institutions to seamlessly operate globally at scale
- Resilience, helping maintain continuity for critical research and education
- Performance, for real‑time collaboration, remote instrumentation and interactive learning
- Scalability, ensuring Janet can keep pace with emerging technology and demand
This is about more than raw speed. It is about ensuring that UK research and education has the dependable international foundation is needs to innovate with confidence.
Supporting global collaboration
Modern research rarely happens in isolation. Grand challenges — from climate change and public health to energy, security and artificial intelligence — require collaboration across borders and disciplines.
By strengthening its links to GÉANT, Jisc and Janet help UK institutions participate fully in international research programmes and partnerships. They support researchers working with global facilities, data repositories and peer networks, and enable UK organisations to contribute expertise and insight on a worldwide stage.
For students and educators, the benefits are just as real. Improved international connectivity supports collaborative teaching, virtual mobility, shared digital resources and access to world‑class learning opportunities.
Investing in the future
This work not only improves connectivity in the immediate term, it also unlocks the capacity and scale that will be needed to support future evolution. Upgrading Janet’s connection to GÉANT is a clear signal of long‑term commitment to the UK’s research and education community. It reflects an understanding that digital infrastructure is a strategic asset — one that directly supports economic growth, innovation, skills development and global engagement.
As new technologies emerge and global collaboration continues to accelerate, this investment ensures Janet remains a reliable gateway between the UK and the wider world, ready to support whatever comes next.
Born from innovation; Built for discovery; Powering the future.