Bolivia

Colombia

Ecuador

Peru

Venezuela

BOLIVIA
RedHUCyT supported the implementation of the Bolivian Data Network (BOLNet), facilitating the access to full Internet in this country, for the first time, in December 1995. RedHUCyT provided technical assistance through extensive negotiations with communications providers and consultants from the Catholic University of Chile (UNIRED). The project also involved the purchase of high-tech communications equipment, including routers, servers, modems, among others. BOLNet shares the cost of the satellite link of 64Kbps with the office of the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) in Bolivia. The port charge fee is paid by NSF. During the first stage of this project, many institutions were connected to the Internet, including the national telecommunications company (ENTEL), the University of San Andres in La Paz (UMSA), University of San Simon in Cochabamba, University Gabriel Rene Moreno in Santa Cruz and the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT). BOLNet´s access capability was recently expanded as a result of a cooperation agreement between BOLNET and ENTEL.

COLOMBIA
RedHUCyT has sponsored network experts from Colombia to participate in regional forums and workshops and has a close relationship with the National Council for Science and Technology (COLCIENCIAS), the University of the Andes, and other Colombian institutions.

The OAS/RedHUCyT cosponsored the International Meeting on Health Crisis and Internet that was held in Bogota, on November 18-21, 1997. The meeting encouraged participants to exchange information and make recommendations on using the Internet for preparedness planning, strategic decision-making, and operational coordination of health and disaster crises. The Meeting was organized and sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization, and the Ministry of Health of Colombia. RedHUCyT financed the participation of some speakers from the region.

Other activities by RedHUCyT that counts with the participation of COLCIENCIAS are the INFOCyT project and MERCOCyT. Consultants and participants of this project went to Colombia for a meeting in order to plan, develop and assist in the creation of a Web site for the MERCOCyT program. This Web site, now in operation, is coordinated by COLCIENCIAS.

ECUADOR
RedHUCyT provided the necessary funds for the purchase of a RISC server to complement the efforts of the Ecuadorian Information Corporation, EcuaNet, to develop Internet in this country. EcuaNet is a not-for-profit entity which offers connection to Internet as a free service to universities. EcuaNet's communications infrastructure, which is provided without charge by "Banco del Pacifico", includes satellite antennas in Guayaquil, Quito, Ambato, and Galapagos. Currently, CONACYT, several universities, schools, hospitals and government agencies are connected to the Internet through EcuaNet.

PERU
Through the Scientific Peruvian Network (RCP), a consortium of many institutions, Peru joined the Internet in March 1994, through a satellite link to the National Science Foundation (NSF) node in Homestead, Florida . For this purpose, RedHUCyT donated a ground station for satellite communication, including radio-frequency equipment, facilitating the implementation of the first full Internet connection in Peru. In 1995, RedHUCyT provided additional funding to co-finance the purchase of a CISCO 7000 router, facilitating the national expansion of RCP. Currently, RCP has additional links fully funded with its own resources and is considered among the fastest growing networks worldwide. Also, in April 1996, RedHUCyT cosponsored the Fifth Forum of Latin American and Caribbean Academic Networks, organized by RCP, with the participation of several network specialists from the region.

Is another country to participate in the INFOCyT. Consultants from Chile traveled to Lima to work with CONCyTEC.

VENEZUELA
RedHUCyT co-sponsored, with Internet Society, the 1999 meeting of the Latin American School of Networks (ESLARED) and the Second Latin American Network Workshop which took   place from 14 to 19 of  June.

Also RedHUCyT provided funds to the Red Académica de Venezuela, REACCIUN for the realization of the international workshop, Visionarios'98. This event took place in Caracas on April 22, 98, with the objective to foster and consolidate a culture grounded in the importance of the resources of information and telecommunications as a strategic element for a sustainable social-economic development. The participants exchanged experiences and visions about the impact of new information technologies on the economic, social, political and academic development of the region. The event co-sponsored by OAS/Redhucyt had many participants from the region.

One of the efforts of RedHUCyT in Venezuela is the consolidation of the Sistema Andino de Información Industrial (SAIN). RedHUCyT funded and supported SAIN's objective of interconnecting the countries of the Andean Region. Funding was provided for travel of consultants and experts to participate in SAIN's regional meetings. Funding also was made available for the purchase of hardware and software supplies for the expansion of the system.

Another project funded by REDHUCyt in this country involved the purchase of a ground station for satellite communications with the National Science Foundation (NSF) node in Homestead, Florida. The antenna was originally donated to the National Council for Science and Technology (CONICIT) and is currently at the facilities of the University of the Andes (ULA) in Merida, Venezuela. The antenna allows direct communication to the Internet from ULA and the University of Zulia, and provides an alternative international gateway to the Venezuelan Academic Network, REACCIUN. For instance, REACCIUN used this alternative gateway in February 1997 to obtain basic Internet services, when internal problems within the international provider prompted a temporal halt of the service. This facility will be expanded in the near future.

RedHUCyT also co-sponsored the Third ESLARED in coordination with the National Council of Science and Technology (CONICIT) and the University of the Andes (ULA). RedHUCyT funded the participation of network managers from the region in training workshops in these two events. These Schools enables network managers from the region to be updated with the latest communications hardware and software available. The former Schools were held in Merida, Venezuela in 1992 and 1995 and in Lima, Peru in 1993.