History

The Hyper-Connected Intelligent R&D Network started as an ATM-based leading testbed in 1995, contributing to Korea's domestic IT industry by providing testing and verification of ATM equipment and application technologies. From 2001, it transitioned to an IP network-based high-speed leading network, supporting next-generation internet technologies and research in applications such as meteorology, medicine, and physics.

After 2004, through convergence technology-centered broadband integrated R&D networks including wired, wireless, voice, and data, and from 2011, by constructing future network leading testbeds with enhanced research testing verification functions for future network technologies, it has been providing an open network testbed environment where research institutions and industries can freely participate.

Particularly, from 2008, as the APII and TEIN international research network construction and operation projects were transferred to NIA, they were integrated into the KOREN project. In 2013, both APII and TEIN networks were upgraded to 10G for integration, and in 2012, an OpenFlow testbed, one of the future network technologies, was constructed and tested with Japan and the United States.

In 2017, the AI Network Lab was opened within the Business Support Hub at Pangyo Techno Valley 2, and a test environment for public safety network-related technology development was constructed. In 2018, to upgrade to an SDI-based intelligent cutting-edge leading research testbed, IP/T-SDN, NFV, and Public Cloud were constructed, and the SDI user portal was opened. 100% of user organizations were converted to SDI, successfully completing the future network leading testbed construction and operation project.

From 2020, to evolve into an autonomous network-based hyper-connected intelligent network, SDx-based hyper-connected intelligent R&D networks were constructed and supported, including Beyond 5G, quantum information communication integration, and tera-class transmission equipment construction.

From 2024, to evolve into a leading research testbed for next-generation network technology innovation, a next-generation network leading research testbed was constructed that provides Cloud Native environments to user organizations with SW-centric open and virtualized systems, and enables the discovery of new wired-wireless convergence technology services.