International Links
	Scientific research is a worldwide activity, and DOE-funded researchers participate inn collaborations involving dozens of countries. Given international travel's expense and disruption to routine, the more effective the international connectivity, the greater is the benefit to the research program. The domestic connectivity and success of ESnet has made ESnet the network of choice for foreign researchers wishing to reach their American collagues. However, achieving the same segree of international connvectivity as domestic is a goal still being sought. Several unique problems affect international connectivity: Providing bandwidth across the oceans is technologically chalenging and expensive. Tarrifs and infrastructure differ among the partnering nations The policies of some partnering institutions limit the possible network configurations. Within DOE, the different research programs have varying connectivity requirements country by country, and this makes the process of prioritizing requirements within the user community cumbersome. The issue of counties wishing to send transit traffic across a country, i.e. from Europe to Japan via American or from America to China via. Japan. Currently, ESnet has international connectivity as follows: ESnet International Connectivity Nation Bandwidth Japan T1 Russia <T1 Brazil <T1 Italy T1 Germany 2 * T3 An example of international connectivity in use is the Human Genome Project. The Human Genome Project is an international 15-year effort coordinated by the DOE Human Genome Program and the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Other international collaborations include the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project and the International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICFA).