Cyberspace and users. The Scientific Ring of Catalonia (Spain)

Résumé En

The Fundaciô Catalana per a la Recerca (Catalan Research Foundation) created the Scientific Ring for the Catalan research community. The Ring establishes a very advanced digital communication network with the high-capacity transmission of data, based on fibre optic cables. It is the first high-speed network for scientific use installed by Telefonica (The Spanish public telecom operator ). The Ring provides a platform for the development of scientific projects, applications and services. Its main goal is to facilitate the development of research in Catalunya in similar conditions to those of the most advanced countries of the world. The greatest potential source of users is university teachers, students and researchers. It can be found in the worlds of academia and research, namely universities, but is also used in the research units of some hospitals, and by the health care network, public libraries and public education centres. Education, health, the public authorities, and companies, comprise important fields for the introduction, at an international level, of the new information technologies. The use and introduction of information technologies throughout society will not take place in the immediate future, and it is therefore too early to measure the repercussions on Catalunya.