Indian researchers and educationists will soon be able to enjoy very high speed Internet connectivity with their counterparts in the US.

This will be possible with the launch of "GLORIAD Taj Expansion" programme in collaboration with the National Knowledge Network (NKN), a Government agency, next week.

India recently joined the Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN3), which facilitates high speed connectivity with scientists in Europe and other Asian countries.

Once GLORIAD (Global Ring Network for Advanced Applications Development) becomes operational, Indian researchers will enjoy a dedicated high-capacity (one gigabyte) Internet network with research and education institutions in US, according to scientists at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).

The last mile connectivity of GLORIAD is being done by Tata Group telecom firm VSNL. Scientists expect the connection to be ready by the end of next week, senior Professor Atul Gurtu, who is in-charge of the programme at TIFR, told PTI.

"Once the high speed linkage is completed, it will allow NKN-connected institutions access to global science projects such as International Thermonuclear Experimental Research (ITER) and Large Hadron Collider," Director and Principal Investigator of (GLORIAD) Greg Cole said.

The connectivity will allow scientists and educational institutions access to shared scientific equipment such as telescopes, electron microscopes and particle accelerators.

The high speed link will bring to Indian computers, important and enormous scientific data repositories spanning from human genomics to social science, to astronomy archives to earth landsat imagery and many more, the scientists said.