St. Vincent and the Grenadines is among several countries within CARICOM and the wider Caribbean region that now have an Internet Exchange Point (IXP), an internationally recognized mechanism for achieving cost and service gains and ICT sector growth.
The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) in collaboration with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) launched the IXP here today at a ceremony at the National Insurance Services (NIS) Training room.
This initiative is under the World Bank funded Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (CARCIP).
In her remarks at the ceremony, CARCIP national coordinator Mrs. Roxanne John said the IXP cost EC $166,000 and CARCIP along with Packing Clearing House and the NTRC would have contributed to the procurement of the necessary equipment.
Meanwhile, Minister of Economic Planning, Sustainable Development, Industry, Internal Trade, Information and Labour, Camillio Gonsalves said
among the national benefits to be gained from the introduction of an IXP includes provision of privacy control by keeping local traffic local, and sensitive data is not subject to inspection by other governments or officials.
