Pacific Network operators meet in Nuku'alofa [1]
Monday, December 4, 2017 - 16:09. Updated on Monday, December 4, 2017 - 16:10.
Tonga is hosting a meeting of the Pacific Network Operators Group (PacNOG) in Nuku’alofa this week, looking at ICT issues in the Pacific Islands including internet security and the Cloud.
Manager of the Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association, Fred Christopher said today, expert speakers and trainers will deliver talks on network operations topics, and will have two workshop tracks specifically on the "Internet and Network Routing Security", and "Cloud and Virtualization".
He said these two topics are crucial for our small islands region as we grow into the global ecosystem and into the digital lifestyles. National and regional plans can benefit from ICT.
Network operators from the region will speak on developments and experiences with their networks. Mr Christopher said these country presentations also provide the opportunity for collaboration and technical cooperation among the participants and their organisations for common needs, challenges and goals.
“PacNOG 21 is a continuation of capacity development program for the IP-ISP network operators from the Pacific Islands, aimed to raise the technical capacity of our people, the network engineers, to gain essential knowledge and skillsets on the subjects selected and agreed by the community for each PacNOG,” he said.
Tonga
Tonga Communications CorporationThe hosting organisation, CEO Timote Katoanga said change in the ICT sector over the past years is probably unparalleled, with technological and market shifts from copper to fibre, fixed line to mobile and from voice to data traffic, and have transformed the nature of the work undertaken by many.
He said while the internet has remarkably been increasing, the community is also facing many challenges from network design, security, and prevention from cyber attack, to cloud computing and virtualization.
Computer Act
Meanwhile, the Minister for Public Enterprises Hon Poasi Tei said this workshop is timely for Tonga, where they are currently finalizing a bill to combat cyber crime, while reviewing a bill to replace the Computer Act 2003, mainly to update computer offences and increase relevant penalties, among other issues.
PacNOG functions as a platform for discussions and exchanges information among network and operations engineers, internet services providers, and other internet-related organisations, mainly through a mailing list. Members exchange technical information and discuss specific implementation issues that require cooperation among network service providers, and meet in two annual conferences, usually held in June/July and November.
Th current meeting is being held for five-days at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre.
Workshops training will be delivered by PacNOG partners from the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names, Numbers and Network Startup Resource Center with the International Telecommunication Union supported by the Department of Communications of Australia.
Members attending include the Solomon Islands Our Telekom, Telecom Fiji, Telecommunications Authority of Fiji, FSM Telecom, Kiribati Ministry of Line Island Development, Tuvalu Telecom, Solomon Islands Telecommunications Commission, PNG National ICT Authority, Marshall Island National Telecommunication Authority, Tokelau's Teletok Tokelau, Telikom PNG Ltd with local participants.