The French government has launched a programme to set up a nationwide
telecommunications research network, in an effort to catch up with Britain鈥檚
JANET system and Germany鈥檚 DFN.
The French network, Renatel, will begin linking up existing research
computer systems next year. Its initial capacity will be 2 megabits per
second. But by the end of the decade Renatel is expected to reach 100 megabits
per second 鈥� a capacity made possible by France鈥檚 planned switch to fibre
optics throughout its telephone system by the year 2000. France is planning
to develop Renatel in time to play a role within the EC鈥檚 future multinational
link-up of network systems.
