Elford Parsons, chief technical officer of the BVI Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, speaks at the second Caribbean Peering and Interconnection Forum, held at Renaissance Resort, Willemstad, Curacao, from June 7 to 10, 2016. PHOTO: GERARD BEST

BY GERARD BEST,

British Virgin Islands is stepping up efforts to get the most from its internet infrastructure.

On June 4, 2011, BVI became only the second country in English-speaking Caribbean to establish an internet exchange point. Called BVI-IX, the exchange point was seen as an investment that would help the British Overseas Territory to strengthen its telecommunications infrastructure and encourage greater development of local digital content. Last week, BVI officials announced new plans to realise that promise.

“We are engaging in what we call ‘phase two’ now,” said Elford Parsons, chief technical officer of the BVI Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, speaking to participants at the second Caribbean Peering and Interconnection Forum, held from June 7 to 10 in Willemstad, Curacao.

According to Parsons, BVI is now working with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), an inter-governmental telecommunications policy organisation, and US-based non-profit firm Packet Clearing House (PCH), to develop their IXP to the next level. Over the coming months, technical training and workshops focused on network security, local content and electronic commerce will be organised to help the local market realise the expected benefits.