Utrecht
                                                  19 September 1991


Dear COA and RIPE friends,

A proposed approach for progressing the establishment of a well managed
pan-European backbone service is offered in the following document.

A main element in this approach is the short term creation of a robust
kernel backbone infrastructure - Ebone 92 - for Internet IP services
and ISO-CLNS pilot services bycombining and enhancing existing
facilities. The interim backbone will be integrated into the full
mult-protocol services and operational responsibility passed on to the
Operational Unit in 1993 on the assumption that such a body has been
succesfully created by that time.

The interim Ebone 92 backbone services are proposed to operate under
responsibility of an ad hoc Consortium of Contributing Organisations. A
meeting for those organisations interested in the formation of this
consortium will be held on 26th September 1991 at CERN, Geneva.

The following organisations have already expressed intent to participate
in the kick off meeting:

            - NORDUnet
            - CERN
            - Switch
            - EUnet
            - DESY
            - EARN
            - EASInet/IBM
            - GARR
            - CNRS France
            - SWIPnet
            - SURFnet

Any other organisations interested in attending are most welcome. For
logistic reasons, intention to participate should be notified in
advance.

Finally I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those who
assisted in preparing this proposal during the last these last three
weeks, and for the stimulating reactions so far.


Kind regards




Kees Neggers