Grenada Regulatory Commission, Internet Exchange back CarPIF conference

The Government of Grenada has congratulated the Caribbean Network Operators Group for successfully hosting the Caribbean Peering and Interconnection Forum in Grenada earlier this month.

The Caribbean Network Operators Group, or CaribNOG, is a vibrant community of professionals committed to improving the region’s networks, expanding the technical capacity of those who build and secure them, and strengthening the interconnections among all actors in the Internet space. CaribNOG are among the main organisers of the Caribbean Peering and Interconnection Forum (CarPIF), held in Grenada from June 11 to 13.

The Government of Grenada, through the Ministry of National Security, Home Affairs, Public Administration and Information and Communications Technology, recently endorsed the hosting of this forum in Grenada and congratulated the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) for partnering with CaribNOG and its affiliates to bring CarPIF to Grenada.

Lawrence Samuel, coordinator of the NTRC, said the Commission sees promoting Internet connectivity and the necessary infrastructure for access to information as critical to the advancement of sustainable human development in Grenada. 

“We see it as fundamental, in respect to the mandate that we have been given under the Telecoms Act, to support programs of this nature. And we are happy that CarPIF chose Grenada as a venue in 2019, to highlight what we’re doing here. A lot of people are not aware that we in Grenada have advanced greatly in respect of our IXP. I think CarPIF provides an opportunity for the wider Caribbean and the world to understand that we in Grenada are committed to continuing to support peering and interconnection, as the Internet in the entire Caribbean advances,” Samuel said.

The Caribbean Peering and Interconnection Forum, often called CarPIF, has been meeting annually since 2015, providing the region’s government, private sector and technical stakeholders with a unique space to develop cross-sectoral relationships and hammer out the next steps for the Internet to drive innovation, digital opportunities and economic growth at the local and regional levels.

“CarPIF is in service of Caribbean development and we were pleased to play a role in the absolute success of this year’s CarPIF meeting,” said Lendon Telesford, TICT Specialist at the NTRC.

The NTRC was the main local organiser of the event, alongside the Grenada Internet Exchange (GREX). 

“It’s not what your country or business can do for you but what you can do for your country or business. It's all about serving the people, and for us that starts right here in the Caribbean,” said Brent Mc Intosh, Coordinator of GREX and longtime member of the CaribNOG community.

“We made it our responsibility to ensure that we, as part of the Grenada Internet Exchange, CaribNOG and CarPIF, continue to support these initiatives as much as we can.”

In backing the major Internet conference, the NTRC and GREX joined a broad base of local, regional and international stakeholders, supporters and sponsors. 

CarPIF was started in 2015 by CaribNOG and the Internet Society. The 2019 edition was held at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort, with the support of Internet organisations such as the American Registry for Internet Numbers, the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the Internet Addresses Registry for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Packet Clearing House. The conference also attracted the support of several private sector organisations, including Arkitechs Inc., FLOW Grenada, Relate Studios, Solace, Sonover and Streamline Networks.