State of Internet Exchange Points in Pakistan - Neutral Facilitation or Authorities of Control?
Fouad Bajwa
This is an important issue and we require your input as this will be
deliberated at the scale of an issue of global interest.
With relevance to our work related to Internet Governance, and voicing
the regional and international, Internet Users Interests during the
convening of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum
http://www.intgovforum.org that also includes intervening on affairs
related to governing the Internet, the users rights of equal and
affordable access, openness and security, International
Inter-Connect/Transit traffic sharing plus cost reduction and a
multitude of other critical issues of domestic and global importance.
In our capacities within the technical society and Member of the
Multistakeholder Advisory Group of the UN-IGF, we carry the personal
objectives of exploring and finding various pragmatic alternate
solutions that encourage reduction of costs of interconnect,
international transit, facilitation of Internet Exchange Points for
the purpose of boosting socio-economic development in developing world
regions, in short, encouraging very low-cost Internet connectivity and
generating economic activity that boost poverty eradication. We can
bring these issues in front of the international technical community,
Civil Society and many participating UN member states and thus create
interventions in global and regional policy spheres. This however
cannot be done at all without your participation.
I would like to bring the Internet community and industry's notice to
the issue of Internet Exchange Points IXPs. We are aware that the IXPs
act as critical components of the Internet's infrastructure providing
common points of internet connectivity to ISPs with one another thus
are the basis of the creation of the Internet. ISPs must and should
continue to interconnect with other networks for the provision of
Internet and its related Such interconnect services may also be
carried out through Private and Bi-Lateral Peering. Within the context
of any region or country, domestic IXP availability and connectivity
removes the need for domestic ISPs to purchase transit connectivity
from foriegn ISPs from the developed world. Without domestic ISPs, a
region or country is overburdened economically due to the exportation
of domestic capital to the foriegn ISPs in the developed world at the
expense of domestic income and the domestic Internet Industry.
In todays world, the existance of a domestic Internet industry
ecosystem is the basis of human resource generation and consumption.
This means, if a local Internet Industry Ecosystem is stimulated, the
domestic demand will create high income opportunities for the creative
class and knowledge workers of that region. The existance of a
domestic Internet Ecosystem also reduces the importation of foreign
content and cultural values in favor of local content generation and
publishing. Where countries understand such needs and anticipate the
evolution of a common domestic Internet Industry Ecosystem, the
Public, Private and Civl Society (Technical Community, Non-Commercial
Users NCUs, Academia, Researchers and Universities) or either sectors
come together to establish regional or national level, metropolitan or
municipal level Internet Exchange Points. The foremost advantage of
such an interconnect system is cost reduction and saving money on
interconnect and stimulating affordable Internet and economic
activities.
Upon researching the current state of affairs of the Internet Exchange
Points in Pakistan, we came to the conclusion that the Network Access
Point in Karachi may not be fully operational as the IXP Directories
around the world show no records of activity, amount of traffic
interchanged, establishment information etc. For proof, visit
https://prefix.pch.net/applications/ixpdir and look up Pakistan.
Within the context of the Pakistan Internet Exchange PIE has presence
in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad/RWP but the objectives of this IXP
does not appear to be catering to the true sense of why IXP exist in
the first place. There has been critical debate about the role on the
IXP's control mechanisms as well as the work it carries about. PIE has
three points of presence, each in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. PIE's
interventions are different from the role of an actual IXP as stated
here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Pakistan
The above issues related to Internet Exchange Points and the Internet
Industry Ecosystem raise issues of global concern. First, that
communication is the right of every Human Being according to the
United Nations Declaration on Human Rights. Internet being that
fundamental facilitator of communication needs to be extended to all
citizens of the planet irrespective of their regional and country
boundaries, norms and beliefs. This prime objective of a fully
interconnected human society may not be truly possible at this stage
but progress is taking place all over the globe and such issues have
to be tackled with due diligence while encouraging inclusive and equal
participation by all multistakeholders.
We request the Telecom Grid and Internet community to share their
views in response to the following queries:
1. What is the current state of the Internet Exchange Points in
Pakistan? Despite occasionally reading information about the Karachi
Network Access Point and PIE, where can we access unbiased information
on the functioning of these IXPs?
2. What is the amount of domestic traffic management through ISPs in
Pakistan? Are there any sources that indicate their live functioning
as shared by the Packet Clearing House here:
https://prefix.pch.net/applications/ixpdir/
3. In the year 200, a critical article from Zubair Abbasi raised key
concerns about the implementation and use of a Network Access Point
indicating it was to be used in the opposite sense of why they exist
in the first place. You may want to have a look at:
http://mailman.apnic.net/mailing-lists/s-asia-it/archive/2000/07/msg00028.html
and confirm the current state of affairs while sharing your expert
views on how, what and where IXP initiatives should be carried out.
4. Are all the ISPs in Pakistan connected to the IXP circuit offered
by PIE and the NAP in Karachi? Is this forced connectivity or
voluntary participation?
5. In your view, have IXP initiatives in Pakistan addressed the true
need for which they were initiated?
6. In your view, how can we establish neutral IXPs in the region, what
would be the hurdles, issues, actors and actions (required).
Once again, your support will help us to intervene on global Internet
policy. For privacy reasons, you may also reply to us privately
off-forum.
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Regards.
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Fouad Bajwa
Member (IGF-MAG) Multistakeholder Advisory Group
United Nations Internet Governance Forum
http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/mag
Member, Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC) ICANN
http://www.icann.org
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