Bahrain Meeting Will Bring Together Internet Experts to Discuss Regional Issues

Manama, 8 November 2006 - Internet Service Providers (ISPs), regulators and government representatives will have the opportunity to discuss developments in IP networking in the Middle East at the RIPE NCC Regional Meeting in Manama, Bahrain, to be held 14 – 15 November 2006.

The meeting, hosted by 2Connect, a leading telecommunications service provider based in Bahrain, will be free to attend and will focus on region-specific topics. This is the third RIPE NCC Regional Meeting to be held in the Middle East. The previous ones held in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, proved very successful and attracted over 100 attendees.

In addition to providing a clear overview of the policy development process and management of Internet Protocol (IP) address space in the region, the meeting will cover a range of IP networking topics. There will be particular focus on key issues involved in the certification of IP resources, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), Internet routing, Internet security and building cooperation within the networking community in the region. All presentations at this meeting will be given in English.

“This is the third RIPE NCC Regional Meeting in the Middle East,” said Axel Pawlik, Managing Director of the RIPE NCC. “We are seeing, now more than ever, the importance of discussing the issues relevant to Internet users and service providers in the region. I look forward to a productive meeting in Manama.”

“2Connect considers there is an imminent need among the Middle East countries to work jointly towards achieving business cooperation to benefit the region”, mentioned Fahad AlShirawi, Managing Director of 2Connect Bahrain. “We are pleased to support and collaborate at the third RIPE NCC Regional Meeting, as it will offer a window of opportunities to build consensus on relevant issues. These include providing Internet access for everyone, as well as defining new technological resources and infrastructure that will benefit both customers and providers.”

The RIPE NCC Regional Meeting in Manama is part of continued efforts to encourage feedback from the regional Internet community and to provide a clear overview on how all stakeholders participate in regional and global IP policy processes. The meeting will also provide an opportunity for in-depth technical discussion, and a forum for focusing on the factors and developments that affect the Internet community in the region.

Notes to Editors

About the RIPE NCC

Founded in 1992, the RIPE NCC is an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation that supports the infrastructure of the Internet. The most prominent activity of the RIPE NCC is to act as a Regional Internet Registry (RIR) providing global Internet resources and related services to a current membership base of around 5,500 members in over 70 countries. These members consist mainly of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), telecommunication organisations and large corporations located in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia.

As one of the world's five RIRs, the RIPE NCC performs a range of critical functions including:

• The reliable and stable allocation of Internet number resources (IPv4, IPv6 and AS Number resources)
• The responsible storage and maintenance of this registration data
• The provision of an open, publicly accessible database where this data can be accessed

The RIPE NCC also provides a range of technical and coordination services for the Internet community. These services include the operation of K-root (one of the 13 root name servers), the Deployment of Internet Security Infrastructure (DISI) and DNS Monitoring (DNSMON).

As a result of its established position in the Internet industry, the RIPE NCC has played an important role in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), European Union (EU) workshops and government briefings on key issues in the current Internet landscape.

About 2Connect WLL

2Connect is a leading telecommunications service provider that offers an innovative portfolio of voice and data services that includes advanced internet and IP based solutions guaranteed by an independent state-of-the-art network, wireless technology and IT consulting support. 2Connect creates a new, energetic and dynamic LINK between its customers and the next generation of telecommunications services.

More information available at: http://www.2connectbahrain.com or dial (973) 16 500 111

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