Virtual circuits

Virtual circuits can be used to connect users in different geographical locations as if they were on the same network (LAN, "Local Area Network" environment), thereby enabling them to benefit from all these local networks' operational advantages.

Virtual circuits are point-to-point circuits that can be constructed using more than one type of communications technology. The same project can request several circuits in order to connect all the groups taking part in the same private virtual network. The capacity of each circuit can vary from just a few megabytes to several gigabytes per second.

As a result of the coordination between the European academic and research networks, it is possible to deploy these virtual circuits beyond national borders by means of the pan-European academic network GÉANT, which supports these private virtual networks.