EaStMAN: the Edinburgh and Stirling Metropolitan Area Network

Seven higher education funded institutions (HEIs) are collaborating to construct a high speed metropolitan area network (MAN)-EaStMAN-in the Edinburgh and Stirling region: the universities of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt, Napier and Stirling, with the Edinburgh College of Art, Moray House Institute of Education and Queen Margaret College. The aim of EaStMAN in the medium timescale is to provide a pervasive ATM network throughout the region which can encompass educational, hospital academic departments, public and private sector partners etc. Considerable benefits are perceived in pursuing the MAN route to improving the communications infrastructure. The MAN is anticipated to reduce costs by sharing compared with if each institution did things alone, achieve better intra- and inter-institution communication, provide early access to high speed networks to stimulate and support multi-media applications