"Essentially, our concern is based on the nature of settlement between our national Internet carriers and the US Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who dominate the underlying backbone architecture with which carriers interconnect to access the Internet," said Macintyre.

She explained that US ISPs and their peer nations with similar networks pay each other nothing to exchange information.  However, smaller networks like those in the Caribbean have to pay, in essence bearing all the cost of interconnection.

"We clearly need a system which is more equitable for all countries," she explained and called for carriers from developing countries or remote regions to limit their dependence on international carriers for Internet service.

RESTRUCTURING THE IP SYSTEM

"It is suggested that the regional telecommunications associations encourage the development of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) or Network Access Points (NAPs) so that traffic could be transferred between these smaller networks without the use of, and costs associated with, the Northern Internet Carriers," she said.

Regional interests also support the lobbying of international carriers for the restructuring of the IP network settlement regime to a more equitable one.  They are also looking at partnering with Latin America to develop internationally accepted carriers for the Caribbean and Latin America.

"We in the Caribbean must join meaningfully with our regional partners and the rest of the developing world to vigorously protect our interest.  We must do all that is necessary to ensure that the promised digital dividend does not eventually turn out to be an illusion for the countries of the Caribbean," said Macintyre.

In the meantime players in the regional telecommunications industry are also looking at ways in which they can encourage regional harmony in spectrum policies.

Citing rapid changes in wireless technology and an increasing demand in the region on spectrum resources, Michele Thomas, director of policy and strategic planning at Jamaica's Spectrum Management Authority encouraged harmony at least in the area of spectrum management.

"There is a clear case for a reform in the way spectrum management has been conducted.  Spectrum policy must evolve towards a more flexible and market-oriented regulatory model to increase opportunities for technologically innovative and efficient spectrum use," she said.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20051021/business/business6.html