[February 25, 2013]

Google.org Awards Grant to the Internet Society to Advance Internet Exchange Points in Emerging Markets

The Internet Society today announced that it has been awarded a grant by Google (News - Alert).org to extend its Internet exchange point (IXP) activities in emerging markets. The grant will build on the Internet Society's previous efforts and will establish a methodology to assess IXPs, provide training for people to operate the IXPs, and build a more robust local Internet infrastructure in emerging markets.

IXPs play an important role in Internet infrastructure that allows Internet service providers (ISPs) and other network operators to exchange traffic locally and more cost effectively, which can help lower end-user costs, speed-up transmissions, increase Internet performance, and decrease international Internet connectivity costs. The Internet Society and Internet technical experts have been working for several years to bring IXPs to emerging markets. These efforts have resulted in locally trained experts and facilitated the development of local and regional technical infrastructures. An additional benefit of IXP development is the expansion of community governance models as well s building local Internet expertise.

Google.org, a team within Google focused on social impact, develops and supports technology solutions that can address global challenges, such as expanding Internet access to more of the world's seven billion people.

"The Internet Society has proved to be one of the most effective institutions in the Internet community," said Vint Cerf, vice president and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google. "I am confident that they will apply their grant wisely to extend their work to increase Internet access for everyone, including those in emerging markets."

Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO of the Internet Society, stated, "We are very excited to receive this grant from Google.org. With support to extend our IXP development and improvement projects, we can more quickly bring core Internet infrastructure to underserved countries and assist in building key human and governance capabilities. We will also be able to extend the Internet Society's mission to ensure the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of people everywhere. We look forward to working with Google.org, and we are committed to collaborating with Internet community partners around the world on this important project."

About the Internet Society

The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, visit www.internetsociety.org.

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