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While in everyday life we get by with minutes or seconds, nanoseconds matter in digital infrastructure. Without precise time, it would be impossible to ensure the reliable operation of networks, data centers, or security systems—and yet we rarely give it a second thought.

The transmission of precise time and its significance were among the main topics of Industry Day, organized by the CESNET association in collaboration with PEI-Genesis. The event took place on April 28, 2026, at the Army House in Prague and brought together experts from both research and industry—ranging from academic institutions and technology firms to representatives of security agencies.

Demonstrates real-world viability of quantum encryption without performance tradeoffs They demonstrated the practical feasibility of quantum encryption without compromising performance   The CESNET consortium, in collaboration with Ribbon Communications Inc., has successfully tested the deployment of quantum key distribution (QKD) in a real-world optical network. The test confirmed that quantum encryption can be integrated into existing infrastructure without impacting its performance, paving the way for its practical use in both academic and commercial environments. “Our m

On March 6 of this year, the CESNET Association marked the 30th anniversary of its founding. To commemorate this milestone, an exhibition is currently on display at the National Technical Museum in Prague, tracing the journey from the first internet connection to today’s infrastructure for science, research, and education.

What began as an academic initiative has gradually evolved into an environment that today connects nearly 250 institutions across the Czech Republic. CESNET enables collaboration among research teams, work with large volumes of data, and the use of demanding computing and networking services that individual organizations would find difficult to provide on their own.

You can visit the exhibition on the second floor of the museum foyer through May 5. Across 21 panels, we present key moments in our history as well as our current activities. There are also specific exhibits—such as the first multiprotocol Cisco IGS router, used in December 1991 during Czechoslovakia’s historic first connection to the internet, or a 360° camera of our own design intended for broadcasting medical procedures.

The exhibition demonstrates that today’s digital infrastructure is not a given, but the result of thirty years of systematic work and development.

Thirty years after its founding, CESNET commemorated its anniversary not only with formal speeches and milestones related to network development, research, and education. On Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 7:15 p.m., the association also celebrated its anniversary with an international concert that will connect musicians in three European capitals live. The connection between Prague, London, and Amsterdam in both image and sound was made possible by the low-latency MVTP (Modular Video Transmission Platform) technology developed by the CESNET association.

Colleagues from the Optical Networks Division presented their practical experience in the field of fiber-optic sensing at the GÉANT Infoshare conference. This was not our first time participating. Back in December 2024, Jan Radil presented the basics of fiber optics at the same event. The February meeting focused this time on the potential applications of fiber optics through monitoring changes in the state of polarization (SoP) of light.

With a background in law, Jan Kolouch has built a career at the intersection of law and cybersecurity. Today, his work covers not only cybercrime but also digital safety awareness and education for children, parents and professionals. He has a talent for making complex topics accessible, using humour to naturally draw his audience into the subject.

Read the first part of our interview with Jan Kolouch, CESNET’s cybersecurity expert, to find out what being named Cyber Teacher of the Year 2025 means to him, how he approaches digital safety education and why he believes in education rather than bans. What makes a lecture truly work? And why are parents sometimes the hardest audience to reach?