CAPIF-5 forum in Dushanbe focused on strengthening digital connectivity and Central Asia’s internet cooperation

The Central Asia Forum on Peering and Interconnection (CAPIF-5) was held in Dushanbe in cooperation with RIPE NCC, Tajiktelecom and with the support of the Communications Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan. Representatives of internet companies, operators, traffic exchange points, state bodies and ICT experts from Central Asian countries and other regions took part.

According to the organisers, the forum’s main purpose was to strengthen regional cooperation in communications and digital technologies, develop independent internet routes, improve network connectivity and examine ways to ensure the sustainable development of digital infrastructure in Central Asian countries. The agenda also covered RPKI, IPv6, the IPv6-Mostly model, traffic directions and protection of networks against BGP route hijacking.

The head of the Communications Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, Isfandiyor Saadullo, said Tajikistan has been steadily implementing measures in recent years to develop communications and ICT and to strengthen its position in the region’s digital space. The forum also stressed the importance of diversifying internet access sources, improving access quality and developing modern infrastructure, including regional digital corridors and cross-border fibre-optic lines.