Developing of the Internet in Belarussia

Birth of the Internet in Belarussia went slow and not simply - like the birth of an usual child. A couple of enthusiasts, which were inspired by the idea of the global computer communication made first steps in 1992. There was istablished only dial-up connection to the EUnet/Relcom in Moskow from the one node in Minsk. Great selebration took plase here, when the first letter via E-mail reached another continent and was returned back throw minutes. It was the first small victory - number of educational, public, government and other organizations received access to E-mail and teleconferences via low-speed dial-up connection, based on UUCP.

In 1994 Belarus obtained its own national address domain BY. And addresses of the Belarussian E-mail users lost the EUnet endings and take the new: "minsk.by". At the end of this year full Internet connection was established between Minsk and Warshaw (Poland) using dedicated line (19200 bps). At the belarussian side there was node of UNIBEL network (the network for Belarussian academic and research community), from the Poland side - NASK (Academic and Research Network of Poland).

Since that time Belarus has normal Internet connection with the full access to the all Internet resourses and servises. Major role in technical, organisational and finansial support had a NASK.

Since spring 1995 a number of universities, institutes, libraries and other organisations in Minsk began to establish direct Internet connections with UNIBEL server via leased lines. Number of Minsk secondary schools, gimnasium and liceums has a dial-up E-mail service.

The first gopher and WWW sites appear in Minsk. If in the past some Web sites about Belarus was in United States (this sites are holded by Alex Artykhovich and Dmitry Zelenko), and all people, which are interested about Belarus history, traditions, events and news about current political and economical situation, now can receive this information directly from computers, located in Minsk. A lot of positive replies come in Minsk from various countries about including of the Belarus in the world Internet resourses.

Great importance for expatiating of Internet in Belarus has international conference "Internet in Belarus. Networking for education and schience" in 5-7 of April 1995. It was the global demonstration of the Internet resourses for about 600 participants.

The developement of Internet in Minsk doesn't make steps only forward, but back too. NASK and Soros Fondation in Belarus were able to pay for Minsk-Warshaw connection only until august 1995. In september line was disconnected then . Number of the Internet users, which grows each month, at once lost access to all kinds of Internet service, exclude only E-mail. UNIBEL network has find another way to connect with Internet via 9600 bps line to Moskow (Russian Academic Network FREEnet) in cooperation with BYEARN (Belarussian EARN/BITNET network of the Academy of Science of Belarus).

Current status of Internet explore in Belarus is not sutisfactory to many users. Low speed dial-up connection can't ensure normal and continious access. Now UNIBEL network serves 10 organisations, connected via leased lines, 6 dial-up lines for on-line users and 3 dial-up lines for only E-mail users. Only late at night, when number of on-line users is small, the rest several strong ones can be enjoyed by acceprable connection rate. With a lot of whishes for developing Internet infrastucture in Belarus on-line users looking in the future.

A new project will be launched by the International Science Foundation to develop Internet infrastructure in Minsk for academic and research community. This project describes the building of a Metropolitan Area IP Backbone using high-speed fiber optic communication equipement. Instead low-speed dedicated line connection will be establed satellite link 256000 bps to Stockholm. This project will introduce the Internet life style to the wide number of educational, research and industry organisations in Minsk area.

Now still only a two world-wide well-known WWW sites in Minsk. There are Web server of UNIBEL - http://unibel.by and server of Sakharov's Institute of Radioecology - http://gray.isir.minsk.by.

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Necessary postscriptum: we looking in the future with the hope, but success of large project is depend of the much factors: Ministry of Communications in Belarussia is still have monopoly rights on the all kinds of communictions in Minsk. Any activities on this field is need the license of this Ministry. And, of course this project is very expencive on the equipement.

I think, this story needed in a lot of edidor's work. I never write the articles in russian (but in english is very hard for me first time, believe me, please). If you have any questions or suggestions about facts and problems, mentioned in my story, ask, please and I'll do all what I can for you.

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Igor V. Gren    E-mail: gren@iscr.minsk.by
                        gren@gray.isir.minsk.by
post: 220074 Minsk P/box 164   Belarus    C.I.S

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