What did NRENs ever do for us? The answer might surprise you

Given the fundamental importance of the research and education sector to the UK economy, it’s key to ensure that all institutions have equal access to the digital capabilities they need.

Which is exactly what our Janet Network does.

As the UK’s national research and education network (NREN), Janet delivers reliable, cost-effective connectivity to 18 million users in research, academia and education on a daily basis, providing the compute power needed to sustain the UK’s scientific edge.

Why do we need an NREN?

The rise of online and blended learning means that UK universities and colleges must deliver a seamless digital experience for users with no loss of connectivity - even as the emergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence and extended reality (which require real-time processing of ever-increasing amounts of data) is placing greater demands on IT networks.

The UK research community relies on sharing vast amounts of data with peers across the globe - including with organisations such as CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory.

What’s needed is a dedicated common resource: an accessible, secure, coordinated physical and digital infrastructure that links diverse facilities across the UK to enable global collaboration on major science and technology projects.

Janet provides the UK research and education sector with the secure, reliable, cost-effective connectivity needed to give staff and students access to resources whenever and wherever.

What exactly is an NREN?

An NREN is a key piece of national infrastructure: a secure, resilient, high-speed network infrastructure that connects universities, colleges and research institutions. Across the world, 140 countries have their own NREN dedicated to supporting their research and education communities.

Typically, an NREN is operated by an impartial and trusted partner like Jisc, and funded mainly through membership fees, state support or a combination of the two.

European NRENs (including Janet) are connected via GÉANT, a regional education and research network (RREN) which links 50 million users worldwide, creating a global network mesh that forms a collaborative information ecosystem of infrastructure and services.

What makes Janet so special?

The UK’s super-fast NREN provides resilient, high-capacity, high-speed internet connectivity to 18 million users across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

More than 900 organisations are connected to the Janet Network, including all the UK’s further education, higher education and research institutions. The network also carries traffic between many schools, local authorities and other public bodies.

The busiest NREN in Europe, Janet carries six petabytes of data every day – that’s the equivalent of 3 billion standard printed pages.

And, unlike the majority of NREN providers, we also deliver a range of services over the Janet Network to support education, accelerate research and drive innovation. These include cyber security, cloud and identity services, all specifically designed to address the needs of the sector.

So what have NRENS ever done for us?

As the UK NREN, the Janet Network delivers mission-critical services that enable UK research and education institutions to offer the best possible experience for students and staff. No other network can offer comparable connectivity, availability and cost-effectiveness on a national (and international) level.

As part of Jisc membership, Janet provides more than 900 institutions across the UK with:

All the bandwidth you need: Designed to handle the highest levels of usage with no detriment to performance, Janet provides the huge amounts of bandwidth required for a high-quality streaming experience with no delays.

Cost savings: By aggregating demand, Jisc is able to deliver secure, reliable connectivity at a lower cost than would otherwise be possible.

Mobility: Janet ensures a seamless learning experience by allowing users to roam on and off campus using single sign-on on their own devices with extending eduroam.

Peace of mind: We provide a range of cyber security services including preventing users from accessing malicious sites, protecting against attacks and carrying out cyber security assessments.

And, because Janet is fully integrated and constantly upgraded, it provides the power, speed and scalability to meet the changing requirements of UK education and research – now, and in the future.

We’ll be showcasing all of this and more at TNC 2025 in Brighton from 9-13 June 2025, when GÉANT’s flagship event will bring together participants from across the globe representing NRENs, schools, colleges, universities, research institutions and world-leading scientific projects.