INTERNET EXCHANGE POINTS ARE CRITICAL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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1 INTERNET EXCHANGE POINTS ARE CRITICAL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Workshop on Implementation of IXPs in Samoa, November 26-27, 2014 Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro South Pacific Computer Society President

2 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS THE DRIVER The recent S.A.M.O.A Pathway for Action organized by the UN Small Islands Developing States saw leaders commit to sustainable development; Sustainable development is also part of the Zero Draft of the Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals; Establishing IXPs are a critical and core part of sustainable development in Pacific Countries and territories;

3 FOR NON-TECHIES: WHY AN IXP? Imagine if Tom who lives in Savai'i and Mary who lives in Upolu are courting and they regularly each other. It would be ridiculous if Tom when ing Mary, if his travels outside of Samoa before going to Mary. That which is in techno speak called traffic or packets of information does not have to go outside of Samoa as it is local content intended for local consumption. When that travels outside of Samoa, it clogs up the International Pipes clogging up traffic and wastes space that could have been used for other things. Not to mention the higher cost incurred for travelling outside of Samoa. It would be as if Tom literally flew overseas from Savai'i to get to spend time with Mere in Upolu. This is why you need IXPs. [This example is inspired by an Illustration that Bevil Wooding, Packet Clearing House did in Suva at an IXP Executive Exchange Briefing 2012 hosted by Pasifika Nexus]

4 WHAT INTERNATIONAL PIPES LOOK LIKE WHEN THERE IS NO IXP

5 INTRODUCTION Traditionally, strategies for advancement of bridging the Digital Divide have been somewhat limited to Universal Service Obligations, Universal Access Discussions; The need for Internet Exchange Points especially in markets where there are at least two or three or more Internet Service Providers is critical and vital for a healthy ecosystem; ICT is generally an enabler for economic development as underscored in the World Bank 2009 Study that showed the correlation between broadband stimulus and economic development. Wei Qiang, C.Z and Rossotto, C.M Economic Impacts of Broadband Information and Communications for Development 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact World Bank 2009; This stimulus does not just happen, we need to create an enabling environment for this to happen and what the Office of the Regulator is doing in Samoa is exactly that, it is through designing this Forum providing a safe space for this enabling environment to unfold.

6 PANORAMIC VIEW OF BENEFITS OF AN IXP The Advocacy for IXP and its benefits include but are not limited to: Increasing technological efficiency via infrastructure as international pipes are not clogged with local traffic; Improves Quality of Service as local content stays local; Helps improve accessibility, availability and affordability; Strengthens national security as your highly classified data remains classified and confidential and limits the risk of unauthorized access when data which was meant never to leave home travels or in techno speak is routed offshore; Grows local content and allows for more robust traffic and opportunities for Pacific communities to showcase culture, innovation, and at the end of the day everyone wins, the consumer, the service provider, the country as a whole; Wider socio-cultural, economic, infrastructure, political and technical development and progress through the implementation of IXPs.

7 THINGS WORKING GROUP ON IXPS SHOULD CONSIDER Light handed regulation is key in bolstering support for an IXP and providing space to work towards the establishment of an IXP; Measuring volume and growth of traffic before and after installation of an IXP; It makes sense to have local data which includes local traffic, eg. s, content such as Samoan geospatial data, government information is kept local; It is important that Service Providers see this as a business opportunity in terms of part of a long term strategy for growing traffic and growing the local content market; Selecting a neutral site to locate the IXP is important; Just DO IT!

8 CONTACT US OR IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF OUR COMMUNITY The South Pacific Computer Society GPO BOX SUVA, FIJI. To join the SPaCS Samoa Hub contact us via Website: