European backbone (EBONE)

The European Internet backbone EBONE, which has been in place since 1992, connects all major European data networks and represents the first central European Internet backbone for data communications.

EBONE was launched in 1992 by Réseaux IP Européens( RIPE) and is operated by several Internet service providers and various national telecommunications companies.

The EBONE has a TCP/IP-based backbone and connects over 100 regional networks in over 40 countries to the Internet. Gateways and central nodes are located in Paris, Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt/M, Stockholm, Geneva, Amsterdam and the USA.

The EBONE is sponsored by the Ebone Association, which is open to all Internet service providers(ISPs).