European Commission urges more action on European research Internet Following up the eEurope initiative, the European Commission has urged the national research and education networks of the Member States to upgrade the European Internet infrastructure for research and education facilities. The project, which should see over 700,000 European... Following up the eEurope initiative, the European Commission has urged the national research and education networks of the Member States to upgrade the European Internet infrastructure for research and education facilities. The project, which should see over 700,000 European researchers connected at high speed with high capacity, falls under the action point 'faster Internet for researchers and students' of the eEurope initiative. The new multi-gigabit network should be ready by 2001 and the Commission plans to fund 40% of the costs (80 million euro). It is seen as key part of a European technological step forward. Responding to the project, Mr Erkki Liikanen, Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, said: 'The Commission's support to the upgrading of research and education networks in Europe is a major step towards the development of an innovative and entrepreneurial Europe and will speed up Europe's transformation into a genuine information society.'
