Maybe you get a better picture: FACTS: The ordered line Montpellier-Bonn will operate with 64kb. In addition store&forward problems (large numer of spool ids) will be reduced by connecting "virtually" to CUNY. There will also be a line from Cern to Bonn. A POSSIBLE INTERPRETATION (not mine): It seems that the rest of EARN will soon become far end nodes of this "backbone" because they are only connected using the "slow" 9.6 lines. (Question: Where is the head, where is the ass?) :-) SIGNATURE: Peter Sylvester -- GMD Bonn DISCLAIMER: insert standard blabla here