apr-2017c

Internet users has grown in markets such as Guate-

mala,where about seven per cent of people using the

Internet now have access to the new protocol.Verderosa

expects that IPv6 transition will soon have a very positive

impact on Guatemala’s Internet landscape.“Although the

numbers aren’t huge, they are still relatively good, since

many countries’ adoption rate is actually closer to zero

per cent,” he said.

While Guatemala’s IPv6 deployment is not high in

absolute terms, it remains among the top in the re-

gion, alongside others like Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, and

Trinidad and Tobago. For Guillermo Cicileo, Coordinator

of Security, Stability and Resilience at LACNIC, the key

takeaway is that there is at least one operator pro-

viding IPv6 to Internet users in Guatemala, and other

operators won’t be too far behind.

“It’s important for ISPs to start the switchover soon,

because failure to deploy IPv6 puts them at a serious

disadvantage compared to those who have,”Cicileo said.

Verderosa and Cicileo were among several Internet

experts gathered in Guatemala City fromMarch 20 to

22 for a three-day regional technology conference called

LACNICOn The Move.Since its establishment in 2002,

LACNIChas played a leading role in developing a single,

open, stable and secure Internet at the service of the

development of Latin America and the Caribbean, and

has taken an active role in promoting IPv6 deployment

through initiatives such as LACNICOn The Move.

“LACNIC also provides basic and advanced IPv6 training

in-person and through its online campus.Our IPv6 Portal

IPv6 is a great place for operators seeking free down-

loadable resources or more information about IPv6,” said

Cesar Diaz,Head of Strategic Relations and Telecommuni-

cations at LACNIC.

In order to build a competitive economy, Caribbean countries must

engage in economic restructuring and diversification practices in sever-

al areas, including agriculture, transportation, and telecommunications.

This, according to the latest policy brief from the Economic Commission

for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) subregional headquarters

for the Caribbean.

Entitled “A framework for Caribbean Medium-Term Development,” the

brief examined the adjustments that the subregion has made – and the

ones that it may need to make – in response to the challenging global

environment. It observed that the Caribbean public debt was on aver-

age over 77 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), which exceeded

the debt threshold estimated to hurt economic growth. To address these

challenges, the report formulates policy recommendations in three key

sectors, namely agriculture, transportation, and telecommunications.

In the case of agriculture, the paper highlights that the creation of a

dynamic agro-processing sub-sector is an underexploited opportunity in

Opening Lines

ECLAC Lays out Framework for Building a Competitive Caribbean Economy