According to the National Science Foundation Networks by Country statistics from 01 March 1995, there are nine networks in Bulgaria. One tally, dated January 1995, reported 144 hosts, which represents a 164 percents increase since October 1994.
Today only two Bulgarian universities have leased-line, full IP connectivity: the University of Mining and Geology (MGU) in Sofia, which has been connected through the EUnet since June 1994, and American University in Blagoevgrad, which has theprivate leased line to Vienna University. Sofia University (SU), the largest university in Bulgaria, began dial-up IP access in late 1994.
Two important factors contribute to limited Internet access in the country. First is the financial factor, which to my mind is not the more important. Of course, without at least initial funding, it would be impossible to set up lines, communications facilities, and infrastructure. Such universities as American University, which have more funding from abroad, can afford private leased lines. Other universities, such as MGU and SU, can use communication infrastructures offered by Internet providers in Bulgaria. At this time, the only real IP provider in Bulgaria is the Bulgarian branch of EUnet, offered by Digital Systems, with points of presence in major Bulgarian towns such as Varna, Sofia, and Plovdiv.
Connecting the universities through commercial IP providers like Eunet may seem strange, but it enables them to self-fund their communications and networking by offering Internet services to the companies, organizations and individuals in the region not fully covered and supported by EUnet. The scheme works well in the University of Mining and Geology because the MGU Campus Network has more than 100 users outside the university - primarily private and state companies, foundations, organizations, and individuals using the full range of Internet services (from terminal access to dial-up, SLIP/PPP - based access). Serving end users is not an easy job, but it makes more sense than waiting for someone to give the university free Internet access.
The second factor is the lack of skilled and experienced individuals who can establish and operate TCP/IP networks. This point was eloquently described by Internet Society Executive Director A.M.Rutkowski in an article entitled Internet Global Infrastructure Diffusion, published in Internet Society News (Vol. 3, No.2, 1994). Our experience in some of our not yet connected universities and researchinstitutions, such as the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), demonstrates thatthe existence of funds is insufficient if there is no one who can educate users to effectively use computer networks. Teaching users to navigate the maze of the Internet with minimum traffic generation is important not only for network- emerging countries but also for all of the users who are not sensitive to the costs of heavy network traffic and who can sometimes create enormous and useless loads on the Net. The foregoing problems seem typical of every network in developing countries that have no clear government policy in the information and communications fields. Some recent achievements in Bulgaria, however, have given us hope that the next hosts statistics will demonstrate growth of the Internet in BG (Bulgaria) domain due to our connecting other Bulgarian universities.
Things change rapidly in Bulgaria, too. During verification of this article, an important event occurred: the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) gained access to the Internet. Leased-line IP connectivity between the LAS and Vienna University was established with two pingable hosts-unicom.acad.bg and amigo.acad.bg. We now expect the future to see other Bulgarian R&D institutes and universities connected to the Internet as well.
Volin Karagiozov E-mail: volin@cserv.mgu.bg
System and Network Administrator Tel +359 2 686 172
MGU Campus Network Fax +359 2 687 159
Head of Department of Computer Science
University of Mining & Geology St. Ivan Rilski
Studentski grad, Sofia 1100, BULGARIA