Global tech experts discuss regional internet development in Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala—Global technology experts are calling for a collaborative, multisectoral approach to the continued development of a more open, stable and secure Internet in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

“For Internet users in many Central American societies, the Internet affects many aspects of our quality of life. The Internet is not just an impersonal telecommunications technology. Therefore, Internet development is not just a technical question. It is an issue that deeply affects us all,” said Alfredo Verderosa, manager of services at the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Address Registry (LACNIC), a non-governmental organisation established in Uruguay in 2002.

Verderosa was among several regional Internet experts gathered in Guatemala City for LACNIC On The Move, a regional technology event taking place from March 20 to 22.

“The growth of an open and secure Internet requires the participation and cooperation of all sectors of society, including government, private sector, academia and the technical community. For this reason, the mission of LACNIC On The Move Guatemala is to allow a variety of Guatemalan perspectives to inform the development of the Guatemalan Internet,” added Cesar Diaz, head of strategic relations and telecommunications at LACNIC.

Through initiatives such as LACNIC On The Move, LACNIC has provided training to more than 15,000 technology professionals throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean, Diaz added. The three-day event was held with the support of global Internet organisations such as the Internet Society (ISOC) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), and coordinated by the national regulator, Superintendencia de Telecomunicaciones (SIT).

“In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Internet is perhaps the single most important driver of development for our countries and our societies. For this reason, the development of the Internet is a mission that unites us all,” said Sebastián Bellagmaba, regional bureau director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Internet Society (ISOC).

Since its inception in 2014, LACNIC On The Move has facilitated the training of some 230 participants.

“LACNIC On The Move and ICANN’s LAC I Roadshow are initiatives that allow us to converge our efforts on one common cause, such as the development of the Internet in Guatemala and the region,” said Rodrigo Saucedo, a senior manager for ICANN in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The next LACNIC On The Move event is expected to take place in Guyana in July.

How The Caribbean’s Top Court Is Going High-Tech

A suite of new high-tech court management systems are to be adopted by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The CCJ will be one of the first adopters of a set of technology-enabled systems for electronic filing of court documents, case management and court performance measurement, the court announced.

The region-wide initiative aims to ensure that courts across the Caribbean have access to the software and training needed to strengthen their operations and improve service delivery, the release said.

A pair of pilot projects are scheduled to take place soon in Belize and Grenada, the release said.

It announced the establishment of a not-for-profit corporation called Advance Performance Exponents Inc. (APEX), which will coordinate the new technology-driven solutions and services for Caribbean courts.

“With APEX, courts can take greater advantage of modern, web-based and mobile technologies to improve the quality of their services to the public, and increase the efficiency of judicial officers,” said Sir Dennis Byron, President of the CCJ.

Bevil Wooding, a key architect of the APEX strategy, described the launch as “a significant milestone for courts across the Caribbean.”

“The systems being used by APEX are built on technology licensed from US-based court technology services provider Courtechs Inc.,” Wooding said. “The software is tailored to the specific requirements of Caribbean courts and meet and exceed international best practice for digitally enhanced courts.”

APEX is currently building a regional network of service providers to ensure that local support is available for national courts that adopt the systems. It will also engage Chief Justices, court registrars, technology administrators and bar associations from across the region in the ongoing design and implementation of its systems and services.

“With APEX, Caribbean courts and justice stakeholders can now have an ongoing stake and say in the evolution of the new models and systems for court administration and court performance improvement,” said Sir Trevor Carmichael, chairman of the board of directors of the new agency, said in the release.

Originally published: Curacao Chronicle

ICANN Backs Caribbean Technology Development

PHILIPSBURG, St Maarten—A global Internet giant is partnering with a Caribbean-based group to advance regional technology development.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is joining forces with the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG) to build the capacity of the region’s technical community.

ICANN coordinates the Internet’s system of unique addresses. The global nonprofit organization is dedicated to ensuring an open, stable and secure Internet.

“When we started working to develop capacity in the region, we soon realised that CaribNOG had the same goals, and so we quickly decided that by working together, we could accomplish more,” said Albert Daniels, Senior Manager of Stakeholder Engagement for the Caribbean at ICANN.

Daniels was speaking at the joint opening of ICANN’s LAC-I-Roadshow and CaribNOG’s twelfth regional meeting, held at Sonesta Great Bay Resort, Philipsburg from October 24 to 26.

“Without partnership, the mission of CaribNOG cannot be fulfilled. Partnership is a core principle by which the organisation operates,” said Bevil Wooding, co-founder of CaribNOG.

The spirit of collaboration goes far beyond ICANN and CaribNOG. It includes several other major players in the global Internet landscape, such as the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC) and the American Registry of Internet Numbers (ARIN). LACNIC and ARIN are the two regional Internet registries that share responsibility for the Caribbean sub-region.

“We are pleased to be working together with Carlos Martinez, Chief Technology Officer of LACNIC, and Mark Kosters, Chief Technology Officer of ARIN, to deliver training on critical issues such as domain name system security,” Daniels said.

The U.S. government helped create ICANN in 1998 with the goal of building a stable, multi-stakeholder organisation that could take over the management of the Internet’s naming and number system. To accomplish this goal, the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration partnered with ICANN to transition important coordination functions, known as the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions, to the private sector. On October 1, the IANA stewardship function was formally transitioned to the global multi-stakeholder community.

At LAC-I-Roadshow, Daniels presented on technical issues like cyber security, and policy issues such as the IANA stewardship transition. The slate of international experts conducted hands-on sessions covering a broad range of topics, including Internet exchange points.

The LAC-I-Roadshow and CaribNOG 12 are part of Internet Week Sint Maarten, a five-day conference focused on developing the Caribbean Internet.

The three-day gathering was supported by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union; the American Registry for Internet Numbers; Packet Clearing House; ArkiTechs and The BrightPath Foundation.

Internet Week Sint Maarten ends with Sint Maarten on the Move, a two-day event jointly hosted by the Internet Society (ISOC) and the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses registry (LACNIC).

The weeklong conference is coordinated by the St Maarten telecommunications regulator, BTP. It is open to the public and free of charge, with a live video stream for remote participants.