Technology experts from across the region will this weekgather in Trinidad for a two-day meetingat the Telecommunications Authority (TATT) office.
Shernon Osepa, manager of regional affairs for the Internet Society (ISOC) Latin America and the Caribbean, will moderate the two-day meeting, which is called INET T&T.ISOC is the global organisation behind the local meeting, to be held on October 8and 9.
ISOC executives Raul Echeberria and Sebastian Bellagamba, as well asRupert Griffith, Minister of Science and Technology, are expected to speak at the meeting'sopening session.
The meeting will bring together representatives fromthe Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and the T&T Network Information Centre (TTNIC).
On the two-day agenda will be a look atthe disruptive impact of the Internet on the telecommunications operators' traditional business.How are regional telecommunications operators adapting, as Caribbean citizens' appetite goes further and further beyond the scope of traditional voice-call networks to encompass more broadband Internet-based services?
In July, mobile subscribers across the region complained bitterly after regional mobile operators Digicel and LIME moved to block Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services over their networks. The consensus among several Latin America and Caribbean Internet and telecommunications industry experts is that operators will continue to take advantage of consumers until stronger regulatory frameworks are built to protect Caribbean subscribers.
Issues such as the management of over-the-top services like VoIP will be come to the fore on the second day ofINET T&T, in a roundtable that is to include TATT, ISOC and representatives fromInternet service providers.
Another highlight of the second day of the event is a panel highlighting the urgent need for significant upgrades to critical Internet infrastructure across the region. The panel highlighting the importance of Internet exchange points will include Bevil Wooding, Internet Strategist with Packet Clearing House, Jane Coffin and Christian O'Flaherty of ISOC, and Kurleigh Prescod of Columbus Communications, parent company of Flow TT.
Known more commonly as an IXP, the exchange point is a facility where networks interconnect, making it possible for Internet traffic to be exchanged between Internet service providers. IXPs increase connectivity speeds and reduce costs by keeping local Internet traffic local, reducing the operational cost associated with lengthy international traffic routes.
The meeting is also expected to give Internet users a forum to discuss online privacy and other important cyber safety issues.
Registration is free but seating is limited.