About KAREN

KAREN is a next generation telecommunications link for New Zealand educators, researchers and innovators.

It provides high capacity, ultra high-speed connectivity between New Zealand’s tertiary institutions, research organisations, libraries, wananga, schools and museums, and the rest of the world.

Any member can connect through KAREN to any other member or to collaborators on other advanced networks internationally.

Members’ research partners can also connect to KAREN for collaborative research and education purposes.

New Zealand researchers and educators need KAREN to

  • exchange large volumes of data quickly
  • gain access to large scale national and international infrastructure, and
  • collaborate better on research and education projects at a distance.

Objectives

The research, education and innovation objectives of KAREN are:

  • To enable leading edge e-research
  • To facilitate universal connectivity throughout the New Zealand and international research and education community
  • To encourage broad participation by the research and education sector in New Zealand through accessible technology and reasonable pricing
  • To connect the research and education sector to the broader innovation community for pre-commercial, research and development based collaboration
  • To facilitate participation by multiple telecommunications sector partners to ensure the greatest possible flexibility for ongoing evolution. 

Capabilities

KAREN’s capabilities are at the leading edge of information and communications technology development.

Data can be transferred through KAREN at up to 10 gigabits a second (10,000 times the speed of a standard broadband connection) enabling seamless two-way interaction and almost instantaneous sharing of data over long distances.

This has opened exciting new frontiers for New Zealand’s research, education and innovation sectors.

For example, KAREN enables New Zealand geologists and geophysicists to access sensor data from fault lines around the world; 3D terrain modellers to collaborate on international mapping projects; and students in New Zealand lecture theatres to participate in interactive video lectures with experts anywhere in the world.

KAREN will also ensure that New Zealand universities have access to technology on a par with the rest of the world, and can continue to attract the best international staff and students.


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