The Pacific Internet Conference commences

PacINET 2007 is underway in Honiara. I will be conducting a full-day workshop on Information Security on August 21st. The following press release makes it sound exciting - I am looking forward to it! (Due to unfortunate funding realities, I will only be attending the second half of the conference.)

PacINET 2007 NEWS

Sunday, 13 August 2007

Hundreds gather in Honiara for leading Pacific ICT meet

Some 200 local, regional and international delegates are expected in the Solomon Islands this week for PacINET 2007.

PacINET is the annual gathering of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) experts organised by the Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC).

The meeting is being held this year at the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) conference centre in Honiara, Solomon Islands, from the 15th to 21st August 2007, with the theme ‘National ICT Strategy Building’.

“We have a record number of participants pre-registered to PacINET this year,” says PICISOC Chair, Rajnesh Singh.

“It is very encouraging to witness the development of ICTs in the Pacific increasingly becoming a priority, as reflected by the meeting’s participation, as well as by the range of pertinent issues to be covered by our agenda.”

PICISOC is an active chapter of Internet Society (ISOC), covering 22 Pacific island states and territories with a membership of over 400 individuals across the region. ISOC is a professional membership organisation with around 100 organisational and over 26,000 individual members in more than 180 countries.

Guest speakers at PacINET 2007 include John Crain, ICANN CTO and Dr Jimmie Rogers, Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). Dr Vinton G. Cerf , considered one of the fathers of the Internet and Vice President at Google, has also prepared a keynote message to participants via video.

A Pacific ICT Regulators’ Summit will be convened tomorrow (14^th August) preceding the conference, supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

“It will be an opportunity for the overseas speakers to exchange information with the region’s policy makers,” explains Mr Singh.

Also on the side of the conference will be an Asia Pacific Top Level Domains (APTLD) association meeting, and an IPv6 Forum (IPv6 is the next generation Internet).

The main conference is split in two strains - policy and technical - where workshops will be conducted providing training to participants.

Some 30 participants at PacINET 2007 were sponsored to the meeting by Pacific Internet Partners (PIP), Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

Comments from participants of PacINET 2006, held in Apia, Samoa, follow:

"It was such a privilege to be chosen by the conference chairman to be part of a panel during the "Internet Censorship" forum especially when someone like Dr Vinton G. Cerf is in the room" - Andrew Moliware, VANUATU.

"This has been a great opportunity for the Cook Islands and for me, in my work, has come at a very good time as I am writing the policy for ICT in education for the Cook Islands. " - Alexis Wolfgramm, COOK ISLANDS.

"Meeting Dr. Vinton Cerf was a privile ge. His vision for the Internet and interest in its development in the Pacific Region is motivating. The simplicity with which he explained this vision makes it easier for Pacific Islanders to comprehend ;the future development of the Internet and how we can embrace the technology and utilize it to our advantage." Christina Kuper Wini, SOLOMON ISLANDS.

"My area of most interest is how computers can be used with people with disabilities thus the presentation 'a day in the life of a enabled pacific village' that Mr Don Hollander gave at the Conference was very informative and enlightening and most relevant." Mary Raui, COOK ISLANDS.

"Discussions on IPv6 sparked a new area of interest for me. Although, it does not relate to my specific area of duty the knowledge gained from the tutorial conducted by APNIC's Miwa Fuji has certainly help me to attain a better understanding of this issue and be aware of the implications IPv6 will have on ICT globally and also in the Pacific Region." Lynnold Misifea Wini, SOLOMON ISLANDS.

"I found my conversations with John Crain the CEO of ICANN about DNS management and the imminent arrival of IP6 very instructive. The depth and scope of issues like Net Neutrality were also new to me, something that Vint Cerf emphasised also during his keynote. The presence of Digicel, and their presentation on their 'aggressive marketing strategy' was also provocative. " Robert Whelan – FIJI.

(Ends)

For more information, visit www.picisoc.org.

Photo by: sprbert

The reality of free wireless in Niue

In addition to OLPC, community wireless has been a topic of discussion in "development ICT" on the Pacific Internet Society (PICISOC) mailing list recently. I was interested to read an announcement pointed out on the list that reported the success of a free wireless Internet project in Niue.

Thanks to International Communication Technology (ICT) small and remote nations are not so remote anymore. The introduction of free, wireless internet services to all in the tiny Polynesian nation of Niue has reshaped the lives of close to 2,000 people living on the island. The vice chairman of South Pacific Internet Services, Franck Martin, says that access to the internet has made everyday life for Niueans easier. "ICTs are crucial (in regards) to improving the quality of life and to drive growth in the whole economy. Free wireless internet had had a vast impact on development in government sectors and poverty reduction," said Mr Martin. "People waited for days to talk to their families and loved ones abroad as there were defaults in the telephone and fax lines. But with free internet services, they can get in touch with them in seconds," Mr Martin said.
[Free wireless network reshapes lives in Niue, Islands Business, as it appeared August 1, 2007]

When I read this, it felt a little hinky to me - it simply sounds too good to be true. A quick search showed that the claims of aiding nearly 2,000 are a little exaggerated. According to the CIA Factbook, the 2007 population of Niue is 1,492. This may be an innocent mistake, but I kept digging.

It turns out that - to my surprise, if not yours - that Niue's free wireless Internet was announced over four years ago. Note the quote from former PICISOC chair, Richard St. Clair.

The Internet Users Society - Niue (IUS-N), today announced that it has launched the world's first free nation-wide WiFi Internet access service on the Polynesian island-nation of Niue. This new free wireless service which can be accessed by all Niue residents, tourists, government offices and business travelers, is being provided at no cost to the public or local government.

"WiFi is the prefect fit for the Island of Niue, where harsh weather conditions of rain, lightning, salt water, and high humidity cause major problems with underground copper lines," said Richard St Clair, Co-Founder and Technical Manager at The Internet Users Society - Niue and Chairman, Pacific Island Chapter ISOC. "And since WiFi is a license free technology by International Agreement, no license is needed either by the provider or the user."
[Polynesian Island of Niue the First Free Wireless Nation; Wireless HotSpot Launched in South Pacific Island of Niue, Business Wire, June 23, 2003]

Again, this sounds great! Why can't we have this in Suva?

Then a PICISOC member from Niue chimed in with the following reality check:

Currently the only thing being reshaped regarding access to the internet is my figure as there is no public transport here and the internet cafe (which is not free and only open between the hours of 9-3 and closes for up to an hour for lunch) is located 10 kilometers away from my village (removed to protect the innocent) where we have neither a land line for dial up or a wifi connection. A point to note is the "free" part comes after the $1600 NZ dollars each that 2 families in our area have paid for their connection. There is also a $25 one off registration fee for those that are fortunate enough to have access to a wifi-location. I have been in discussion with the users society here, through our local internet cafe and have been referred to the .nu owner in America (?) about information in regarding wifi being installed in our village as a community/village project, but have yet to receive any feedback.

I agree that access to the internet has a "vast impact on development in government sectors and poverty reduction" - for those that are fortunate enough to have access.

So it is too good to be true. Unless someone from Niue or ICT can counter this analysis?

Photo by: moblog

Internet 101 for media professionals

PRESS RELEASE/INVITATION TO ALL EDITORS

Editors may be interested in sending their reporters to attend a two-hour workshop/crash course to learn about Internet and Internet-related issues.

Why?

Internet has no doubt become the way of communication in modern day civilisation. According to one source of global statistics, ( www.internetworldstats.com ), Internet usage in Oceania (including Australia) exploded by 142% between
2000 to March 2007.

In Fiji, growth in Internet usage between 2000-March 2007 was 833.3%. This means more and more people – your readers and audience - are going "on-line". It also means they are going to get exposed to Internet-related issues.

ARE YOU PREPARED TO REPORT ON CYBER CRIMES WHEN THEY HAPPEN?
OR TELL YOU READERS ABOUT VoIP, IPV6, INTERNET BANKING, ETC, ETC?

The Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC) invites you to ATTEND "INTERNET 101 FOR MEDIA PROFESSIONALS", A TWO HOUR WORKSHOP, FREE OF CHARGE, for media people interested in covering Internet-related issues. Learn what is the Internet anyway and why it is changing the way we think and do business.

This Workshop will be on Wednesday 1st August 2007 at the Forum Secretariat Committee Room A, Suva, Fiji, from 10am to 12pm.

This workshop has the support of the Forum Secretariat and SOPAC.

RSVP: Mue Bentley, MueB(at)forumsec(dot)org(dot)fj, tel: 3312600, Franck Martin franck(at)sopac(dot)org

Photo by: [hdy]**