In this our first Community Chat, we discuss Caribbean telecoms infrastructure/network resiliency, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in the region, and the European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), with members of the Caribbean ICT/tech community, Kerrie-Ann Vassall-Richards, and Gerard Best.
Episode is also available in Apple iTunes and on Stitcher!
Welcome to our first Community Chat!
Instead of the one-on-one interviews we have been doing so far that tend to focus on one just one topic, for the Community Chat, we have a three-person panel, and three topics to discuss. First, let’s introduce our guests:
- Kerrie-Ann Vassall-Richards, Founder of the Business Growth Rocket, a business coaching service based in Jamaica. She is also an Advisory Council Member at the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), and
- Gerard Best, a Communication Specialist and Multimedia Journalist. Gerard writes extensively on Caribbean telecoms and ICT issues, and is based in Trinidad and Tobago.
Kerrie and Gerard were invited to suggest telecoms/ICT topics or issues that were of interest to them, which we could discuss. The following three were selected:
Network resiliency – an issue that we discussed with Shernon Osepa of the Internet Society, in our first episode, but with the 2018 North Atlantic Hurricane Season to start on 1 June, the topic remains a major concern for policymakers and regulators in particular. Several efforts are currently underway to improve the resilience of the telecoms infrastructure in the Caribbean. Gerard leads this discussion, where we highlight some of those initiatives being implemented, and discuss some of the challenges and considerations that could delay the speed with which the current situation improves.- Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) – IXPs were all the rage three to five years ago, and so, many Caribbean countries now have one. However, since they were initially installed, we have not heard anything more about them. Gerard has been thinking about conducting a ‘health check’ of the IXPs in the region, and wants to know whether that is a good idea.
- Finally, the European Union’s new General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR) – which comes into force later this month, and is expected to have implications for how we do business in the Caribbean. Kerrie, having experienced first-hand the impact of UK’s 1998 Data Protection Act, which was aligned the EU Data Protection Directive 1995, is concerned that Caribbean businesses are not as knowledgeable or as prepared as they should be the GDPR.
Select links
Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that were mentioned:
- Caribbean Network Operator Group (CaribNOG)
- Internet Society
- Caribbean Peering and Interconnection Forum
- Article, St Kitts and Nevis Government First in Caribbean To Get Unique Internet Identity
Packet Clearing House - LACNIC 29
- Article, Internet Society, LACNIC, and LAC-IX Partner to Strengthen IXPs in Latin America
- Article, LACNIC and Google Partner to Strengthen Digital Capabilities in the Region
- 14th Caribbean Internet Governance Forum – Suriname
- General Data Protection Regulation
Image credit: alles (Pixabay); G Best; K Richards
Music credit: Ray Holman
Very good discussion.
I particularly paid attention to the points Kerrie-Ann made in regard to the EU’s new GDPR. This is presently a bit fuzzy to me, but if what I understand is correct, then we look forward to seeing the impact on the rest of the technology-consuming world. I notice there is mention, in the audio, of a fuller discussion of the topic in the next installment of the podcasts.
I look forward to it.