ASEAN MAY HAVE OWN INTERNET EXCHANGE, DOMAIN BY 2015

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- Asean is likely to have its own Internet
exchange and domain by 2015 that will enable the region to enjoy higher Internet
connectivity at an affordable cost.

Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim said
Asean telecommunications ministers at the 10th Asean Telecommunications and
Information Technology Ministers Meeting (Telmin) agreed to work on this but
said that the initiative would need a lot of research and preparations to ensure
its success.

"I can foresee this (Asean Internet exchange and domain name) will be a
popular topic in the next meetings of telecommunications officials and ministers
in Myanmar," he told reporters after the launch of the Asean ICT Masterplan 2015
(AIM 2015) here Friday.

The two-day Telmin concluded Friday.

The next meeting will be held in Naypyidaw, Myanmar's new administrative
capital by the end of the year.


An Internet exchange primarily functions as a point for networks to
interconnect directly rather than through a third-party network. With an
Internet exchange, the cost to the consumer would be reduced while bandwidth
speed increased.

Currently, Internet users surfing Malaysia-based websites are routed via
hosted servers located in Singapore or the United States, as they have more
international telecommunication cables and operating costs are cheaper.

A domain name is an identification label that defines a realm of
administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are
also host names that identify Internet Protocol (IP) resources such as web
sites.

An Asean domain name is expected follow in the footsteps of the European
Union, which has its ".eu" domain.

-- BERNAMA