internet exchange points
TRANSCRIPT
Bevil M. Wooding
Internet Strategist
Packet Clearing House (PCH)
Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU)
Internet Exchange Points
foundation for the Caribbean Internet Economy
What we say we're after
Leveraging the technology to educate our
communities, develop our economies,
secure our citizenry, advance our societies
Implications
Greater reliance on the Internet
and Internet-based services
– Requirement to transition
citizens to new models and
approaches for sustainable
development
Mobile apps and services
Local Content
Distance Learning
e-business
e-government
Telemedicine
National Security
Disaster Preparedness
Caribbean Reality
The notion of developing “knowledge-
based” societies is no longer a deferrable
option; it is a national and regional
imperative
Caribbean Response
The survival of the region is now
inextricably linked to the extent to which it
can quickly and optimally develop and
leverage its information and
communications technology resources
The Case for Caribbean IPXs
The IXP
Advantage
Accelerating regional
development of critical
Internet resources
What is an IXP: Quick Definition
An Internet exchange point (IX or IXP) is a
physical infrastructure that allows different
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to
exchange Internet traffic between their
networks without cost.
The absence of IXPs leads to the depletion of scarce foreign reserves from economies and societies that can ill afford this
hemorrhage.
IXPs Across the World
https://prefix.pch.net/applications/ixpdir/
Attraction of IXPs
IXPs provide cheaper, more efficient,
lower latency paths between networks
IXPs help foster a local community - both
content and providers
Aggregation of demand makes it more
attractive for additional transit providers
to enter the market
The Case for Caribbean IPXs
National Benefits
Building block for ICT based development
National Benefits: Network Performance
IXPs enable high-bandwidth, low latency
applications like multimedia, gaming, and
file-sharing
– improved price/performance ratio (reduced
APBDC) of local traffic
National Benefits: Privacy Control
Sending sensitive data across national
borders presents a privacy risk to
governments and corporations.
– By keeping local traffic local, sensitive data is
not subject to inspection by other
governments.
National Benefits: Industry Growth
An IXP is a prerequisite to the development
of any significant domestic content
production, hosting, or „colo‟ industry.
– This barrier must be surpassed before major
content providers like Google, Amazon,
Akamai, or UltraDNS will even consider
providing local services within Caribbean
national markets.
National Benefits: HR Development
The maturation of the local network
infrastructure provides a nucleus for
education and retention of the Internet-
skilled labor force that ISPs need in order
to continue their growth and economic
progress.
National Benefits: Additional Value
Enables co-ordination of security,
infrastructure protection, abuse response
activities
– Can act as a “center of expertise” for Internet
technology
– Facilities growth and development of
stakeholder community which can engage in
other activities promoting local interests
National Benefits: Additional Value
Makes available a logical place to locate,
and hence attract, other Internet
infrastructure resources
– e.g. top-level name servers, time servers,
performance measurement tools, research
projects
Making it happen
Translating IXP potential into Development Reality
Making it happen
Governments and Regulators need to:
– Strongly encourage stakeholder dialog as a
national development priority
– Facilitate and support the process
– Assist with public awareness
– Lead by example
Why We Need to Act
If we do not build a strong CARIBBEAN
Internet then
– we risk remaining mere consumers of the
global Internet with no incentive to produce,
share and export our own knowledge, culture
and innovation
– we risk loosing our unique identity and our
sovereign place on the Internet
Why We Need to Act
“A good man leaves an inheritance for his
children's children”
Proverbs 13:22
