The GÉANT project began in November 2000, entered full production operation in December, 2001 (fully replacing TEN-155), and is due to finish in October 2004, when it is expected to be replaced with the next generation network.

It is intended that GÉANT should interconnect with other regional research networks (such as Abilene, CANARIE, ESnet, SINET) to create a single global research network. It currently has gigabit links to North America and Japan.

The GEANT NOC is at DANTE.

Member national research and education networks are:

• Austria's ACOnet
• Belgium's BELNET
• Bulgaria's UNICOM-B
• Croatia's CARNet
• Cyprus's CYNET
• Czechia's CESNET
• Denmark's Forskningsnettet (NORDUnet)
• Estonia's EENet
• Finland's FUNET (NORDUnet)
• France's RENATER
• Germany's DFN
• Greece's GRNET
• Hungary's HUNGARNET
• Iceland's RHnet (NORDUnet)
• Ireland's HEAnet
• Israel's IUCC
• Italy's GARR
• Latvia's LATNET
• Lithuania's LITNET
• Luxembourg's RESTENA
• Netherlands' SURFnet
• Norway's UNINETT (NORDUnet)
• Poland's POL-34
• Portugal's RCTS
• Romania's RoEduNet
• Slovakia's SANET
• Slovenia's ARNES
• Spain's RedIRIS
• Sweden's SUNET (NORDUnet)
• Switzerland's SWITCH
• United Kingdom's JANET