CLOUD-BASED NETWORK UPGRADED
Myren-X links 20 public varsities at a broadband speed of 100Gbps
THE Malaysian Research and Education Network’s online ecosystem has been upgraded to Myren-X, which links all 20 public universities at a blazing speed of 100 gigabits per second.
Launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday, the cloud-based network is connected to 130 public higher learning institutions nationwide, including polytechnics, community colleges and teaching hospitals.
The ecosystem’s speed is the first and fastest in Malaysia.
Najib said the speed was in line with Malaysia’s objective to meet the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0), which emphasises the use of efficient cyber infrastructure.
“We are in this journey to face IR4.0 and the era of digital economy.
“We need an infrastructure that will provide faster connectivity to facilitate access and collaboration, especially for research and education,” he said.
Najib outlined two possibilities in the advancement of research and education through Myren-X.
“Firstly, it is possible to produce (Malaysia’s own) Nobel laureate scientists, through research in Frontier of Knowledge (programme), which is a collaboration between the world’s researchers.
“Secondly, (Myren-X) will be able to transform the country’s higher learning (system) into an ubiquitous medium, where learning can be done anytime and anywhere, other than meeting current and future job demands,” he said.
Najib said previously the ecosystem was known as Myren, and linked to only public universities.
“(Back then) our researchers and academicians were left behind in various fields to create high-impact research, particularly those involving big data.
“Myren could only provide the speed of 20 megabits per second for each university.”
He said Myren-X was the outcome of efforts to increase the speed of broadband service in public universities to a maximum 100Gbps, as tabled in the 2017 Budget.
“This is also to ensure that the cyber infrastructure at all public higher learning institutions are on a par with the ones in developed countries,” he said.
Myren-X is managed by a consortium of 20 public universities, known as Myren Network Sdn Bhd, which is spearheaded by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) through UiTM Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Present were Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh and his deputy, Datuk Dr Mary Yap Kain Ching.