The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

IT is “critical” for the private sector to be involved in discussions on internet governance, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority’s (URCA) chief executive said yesterday.

Stephen Bereaux spoke as URCA, in collaboration with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Internet Society (ISOC) and the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), hosted a two-day ICT Roadshow at the British Colonial Hilton.

He told Tribune Business: “In connection with the government and the country’s policy to make technology the third pillar, one of the critical things is for the country to play a part and have a clearly defined and active multi-stakeholder internet governance society.

“The internet doesn’t work like most governmental policies; it’s independent and works as a multi-stakeholder community. The Internet itself is distributed architecture. If you’re going to make technology a major part of your national policy, you have to ensure that your internet users and key internet partners are a part of that dialogue so we can get the right kind of internet service, the right kind of activity and governance.”

Mr Bereaux added: “It is critical that our local stakeholders and experts are part of that discourse. What we have done is partner with ICANN, the Internet Society (ISOC) and the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), which are global bodies that bring that discussion into The Bahamas, and hopefully will engender a discourse.

“The workshop is an opportunity for key stakeholders to come together and understand what is needed for our country to play a part in the global dialogue regarding the internet.”

Mr Bereaux said that earlier this year URCA published a consultation paper on the creation of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) for The Bahamas, which he described as part of Internet governance. The workshop opened yesterday and ends today.

Senator Kwasi Thompson, minister of state for Grand Bahama, said: “The conference is extremely important and timely. It focuses attention on what really could and should be developed as the third pillar of our economy, the technology industry.”