Basseterre, Saint Kitts (Public Infrastructure News) – On Wednesday, January 31, 2024, officials at the Department of Technology spoke with Public Infrastructure News about the establishment of an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) at the National ICT Centre in Basseterre, which they say will enhance the country’s digital capabilities and improve the speed and quality of internet services.
IT Consultant, Brent McIntosh, of McNet Solutions, whose team spearheaded the project alongside the Department of Technology, explained that the IXP will allow local internet service providers (ISPs) to exchange data within the country rather than routing it through international networks. McIntosh said that this will reduce latency, lower costs, and improve internet reliability in the country.
The Acting Director of the Department of Technology, Ophelia Blanchard, affirmed that those benefits would translate to individuals, businesses and government agencies, promoting digital transformation and fostering innovation.
McIntosh further explained that ISPs may be able to offer larger packages to their customers because of the relevant bandwidth savings that the IXP may provide.
Speaking of long-term goals, Mr. McIntosh stated:
“In the future, the expectation is to have major global content delivery networks collocated and hosted here whereby end-users can get their popular content locally.”
Brent McIntosh | McNet Solutions
The establishment of the IXP at the National ICT Centre is part of a broader strategy by the Department of Technology to promote national development through technological advancement.
For more from the Department of Technology, visit technology.gov.kn.
