Two memorandums of understanding were signed on the first day of the ‘RIPE 75’ meeting, hosted by the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA).

Leading local, regional and international players in telecoms and information and communications technology (ICT) are attending the meeting.

RIPE Network coordination Centre Managing Director Axel Paulk signed two memorandums of understanding. The first was with the TRA, which was represented by Hamad Al Mansoori, Director-General of the TRA and second was with the American University of Beirut, represented by Dr. Youssef Asfour, CIO of AUB, which was aimed at strengthening the cooperation and exchange of expertise among the different sectors involved in further developing the Internet.

The MoUs are aimed at improving internet-based researches and activities and enhance the operational efficiency of networks in the Middle East. Both MoUs serve as an impetus towards developing Internet services by organising a series of conferences, meetings, training programs, and awareness campaigns about IPv6 and other technologies.

The MoUs also promotes ‘RIPE Atlas’, a global, open, advanced Internet Measurement Platform aimed at providing a global network of analyses that measure Internet connectivity and reachability, apart from a bundle of effective tools to help measure the performance of Internet data within the local, regional and international Internet clusters. Among other initiatives include the ‘RIPE Academic Cooperation Initiative’ (RACI), which serves as a platform for promoting and strengthening the links between the students and scholars and the Internet community through meetings, conferences, and other activities. RIPE NCC and the TRA also agreed to cooperate with universities and research centers in the UAE for briefing students and researchers on the latest Internet-related innovations and developments.