Orbit

Dear All,

*Invitation to Join the BPF on IXPs* I would like to encourage those who are interesting in Internet Exchange Points from the Pacific to join the IGF Intersessional *Best Practice Forum on Internet Exchange Points*. Douglas Onyango and I, as coordinators of the BPF on IXPs, have great pleasure in inviting you to join the BPF on IXPs.

You can do this by subscribing to the Mailing List

* http://mail.intgovforum.org/mailman/listinfo/bp_ixps_intgovforum.org http://mail.intgovforum.org/mailman/listinfo/bp_ixps_intgovforum.org *

The BPF on IXPs was created following the report produced by the *UN General Assembly Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Working Group on Improvements to the IGF* called for the development of more tangible outputs to ‘enhance the impact of the IGF on global Internet governance and policy. This led to the creation of:

- Best Practice Forums - Dynamic Coalitions

(Side Note: There are BPFs on Cyber Security, IPv6 and Dynamic Coalitions on Things like Gender etc)

We have access to all kinds of IXP Studies done globally including challenges and strengths. We are currently in work mode to produce the IXP 2016 BPF Outcomes targeting the IGF in Guadalajara where countries from around the world who would like to showcase their countries and regions. Simply put, what works for the European region will sink an IXP in Africa. We have also recently had the African Peering Forum which was well attended.

The idea is to enable and allow people to access what works and what doesn't in different terrains. I have access to studies and reports on IXPs and if you would like to access these, let me know, happy to share. We have all kinds of members of the BPF on IXPs from regional IX Associations, national IX operators, policy makers, regulators, private sector, civil society.

With development, numerous times there is no need to re-invent the wheel. We can leapfrog by learning challenges and how certain models dealt with these challenges. There are some terrible models and there are some really really excellent models. So it is useful to collaborate when putting in place IXPs.

*IXP Experts*

I would love to see countries and territories who at least have more than two ISPs to have National IXPs. For those who are interested in rolling out IXPs, there are numerous experts you can reach out to:

- Philip Smith - who is doing a Tutorial in the APNIC on IXP design, see: https://conference.apnic.net/42/program#/schedule/day/7/ ixp-design-and-operational-bcp - *Packet Clearing House* - Bill Woodcock and Team in Australia or New Zealand. Bill has done numerous studies globally on IXPs, peering, latency etc around the world; Bevil Wooding is also PCH Outreach Coordinator in the Caribbean; - *ISOC* - Jane Coffin also has recently visited PNG and Vanuatu. Jane is also within the core team of the BPF on IXPs.

*Pacific Peering Forum* What would be fantastic is if the Pacific could get Bevil Wooding over for a *Pacific Peering Forum* where he could share some of the excellent work in the Caribbean. Bevil is one of the Founders of CaribNOG and is an advocate for IXPs and can share challenges and lessons learnt in the Caribbean which are pretty similar terrain to the Pacific. The Pacific Peering Forum could be organised in collaboration between *ISOC, PITA, APNIC* etc.

In 2011, we held an IXP Executives Briefing at Novotel where started the Public Advocacy on the need for an IXP in Fiji. The Keynote Speaker was Bevil Wooding. This was organised by Pasifika Nexus.

Kind Regards,

Sala T

(Co-Coordinator of the BPF on IXPs 2016)